Harry Kane scored his 50th goal for England to rescue a point for the Three Lions in Germany.
With just four games to go until Qatar 2022, Gareth Southgate’s side fought back late on to draw level after Jonas Hofmann put the hosts ahead in the second half.
It was certainly a better performance than the disappointing defeat at Hungary last time out, and Southgate can take plenty of encouragement in the way his side came from behind in Munich.
Team news
England made five changes from their defeat in Budapest on Saturday. Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Bukayo Saka, Kalvin Phillips and Raheem Sterling all came in for the Three Lions, with James Justin out injured after he was forced off during the 1-0 loss in Hungary.
There were seven changes made by Hansi Flick after Germany drew in Italy at the weekend, with former England Under-21 international Jamal Musiala and Premier League duo Ilkay Gundogan and Kai Havertz among those to come in.
Germans on top early on
Havertz forced Jordan Pickford into action at his near post early on as the game had an open feel in the opening exchanges, with Kane seeing his strike held by Manuel Neuer within the first ten minutes.
Musiala – earning his 13th cap at just 19 – was proving a handful on the left hand side, and he saw an effort blocked before England and Southgate were dealt a blow.
Kalvin Phillips came off worst after a challenge with Nico Schlotterbeck and wasn’t able to continue – Jude Bellingham coming on to replace the Leeds talisman.
Pickford was then alert to deny Musiala before Jonas Hofmann had a goal ruled out for offside.
Havertz had got the better of Harry Maguire but neither got a touch on a long ball over the top, meaning that the Borussia Monchengladbach winger was offside from the original ball through.
England then had a great chance to go in front midway through the first half when Neuer couldn’t hold onto Trippier’s corner under pressure from Maguire, but Kane could only blaze over the bar with his first time effort.
Germany were without a defeat in ten games under Flick, and should have gone in front after the half hour mark when David Raum’s hanging cross picked out Havertz at the far post, but Trippier did enough to deflect his header wide of the goal.
The hosts continued to have the better of the play as half time approached. Maguire was alert to clear Schlotterbeck’s header across goal, and the ball dropped to Musiala but a well-struck drive was straight at Pickford.
But then back came England. Kimmich was caught out in midfield and Mason Mount found Saka, who with his first opportunity saw his effort turned over the bar by the paw of Neuer at his near post.
The Arsenal starlet then almost produced something out of the nothing. He cut inside onto his left foot and let fly from 25 yards, but the ball didn’t curl quite enough to creep inside the far corner.
Hofmann strikes in Munich
But it was the hosts who started the second half on the front foot, and after dictating the first five minutes went in front.
England backed off and allowed the Germans to play the ball quickly and Kimmich’s first-time pass into Hofmann found the midfielder in space to thump home his third goal for his country.
Doubts will go in Pickford’s direction after he couldn’t keep the ball out, but his opposite number was having no such questions.
England looked for a swift response, but the Bayern Munich stalwart was having none of it as he beat away Mount’s rasping effort from 20 yards.
As the second half wore on, Germany’s dominance grew, and only a super save from Pickford denied them a second with twenty minutes to go.
Raum was again afforded space to deliver a cross from the left to the back post where Thomas Muller met the ball on the volley but a strong hand from the Everton keeper turned it around the post.
It took 72 minutes for Southgate to make a change – Jack Grealish replacing Mount – and the Manchester City winger was involved straight away. The substitute won a corner which saw Trippier pick out Maguire, but his looping header was turned away by Neuer.
And with England pressing forwards, a counter-attack from the resulting corner almost made it 2-0. Chelsea duo Havertz and Timo Werner combined, with the former playing a neat ball through to the substitute but Pickford was out well to save with his legs.
The game went end to end, with Grealish almost the provider for an equaliser. He sent in a low cross from the left and found Kane on the stretch at the far post, but Neuer scrambled across his goal, sprawled himself wide and deflected the ball wide of the post.
VAR goes England's way
And then VAR played its part as England were given the chance to draw level with five minutes to go.
After the referee looked at the monitor, he judged that Schlotterbeck tripped Kane as he looked to run onto a low cross inside the area, and pointed to the spot.
Up stepped the England number 9, and he sent Neuer the wrong way to score his 50th goal for his country – overtaking Sir Bobby Robson in the record charts.
And then there was still time for a winner – with England looking the more likely to get it. Grealish teed up Kane inside the box, but on this occasion he couldn’t get the right contact.
A point leaves England bottom of Nations League Group A3 with Italy beating Hungary 2-1 in the group’s other game, but on this occasion a point was certainly better than nothing.
Next up
England return home on Saturday when Italy are the opponents in a rematch of the Euro 2020 final - the game is played behind closed doors at Wolves' Molineux.
Three points are a must for this England side as they look to move up the table after taking one point from their first two games of this Nations League campaign.