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Harry Kane rescued a 1-1 draw for England in their Nations League clash against Germany with a late, VAR-awarded penalty.

The Three Lions captain reached 50 international goals, three short of Wayne Rooney's all-time record, with an 87th-minute penalty past Manuel Neuer.

Kane sent Neuer the wrong way from the spot
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Kane sent Neuer the wrong way from the spotCredit: AFP

Jonas Hofmann put the Germans in front, rounding off a smart move after a stunning pass from Joshua Kimmich.

A frustrating England attack was bolstered by the introduction of Jack Grealish - and the breakthrough came when Kane was brought down by Nico Schlotterbeck.

The Tottenham striker made no mistake after a penalty was awarded following a VAR review.

Manager Gareth Southgate avoids back-to-back defeats for the first time since 2018 following the 1-0 defeat to Hungary, while England had not gone two matches without scoring since 2017.

For ex-Three Lions striker Dean Ashton, Grealish made the difference.

"There was no hangover for Grealish. He was absolutely brilliant," Ashton said.

Grealish gave England a greater threat in attack
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Grealish gave England a greater threat in attackCredit: Getty

"So much intent, so direct, great link up with Sterling. What a difference he has made since coming on.

"There will be people asking why he doesn't start because he transformed the game.

"But we can't write off the early stages, there was a real lack of quality from England."

Southgate's men struggled to create clear-cut chances from open play and questions will be asked after another performance which underwhelmed for large spells.

Ashton captured the mood of a nation when he said: "We keep winning it back and doing nothing with it.

"Whether it’s a poor touch or a bad decision. It’s so frustrating to watch from an England point of view.”

Pickford will be disappointed for failing to stop Hofmann's strike
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Pickford will be disappointed for failing to stop Hofmann's strikeCredit: AFP

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will also face scrutiny after getting a big hand on Hofmann's effort.

Ashton added: "There will be questions asked about Pickford, it was there to be saved and his hand buckled."

Nevetheless, a draw away in Germany is nothing to be snuffed at, and something to build on for the clash with Italy on Saturday.

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