There is such a sense of inferiority sometimes when it comes to facing Germany, with all their World Cups, their penalty prowess and easy sophistication, it might come as a surprise to learn that, in head-to-head encounters, England actually match their opponents. From their 32 games both teams have 13 wins. This was their sixth draw and it must be encouraging for Gareth Southgate that his experimental side could hold their own against the team that routinely enjoys the view from the top of Fifa’s world rankings.

Not that anyone should get too carried away yet. Germany eased off in the second half and this was a night when Joachim Löw, like Southgate, took the opportunity to keep back his best XI. On that front Southgate was slightly exaggerating when he talked about facing a group of players who could legitimately be recognised as the best side in the world. Germany might have the best side in the world but this was not necessarily it.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jordan Pickford head ‘real positives’ for England Read more

Overall, though, England’s injury-diminished side coped well on the night when Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jordan Pickford and Tammy Abraham all won their first caps. Joe Gomez was among the substitutes, replacing Phil Jones after an injury to the Manchester United defender, and Jack Cork was brought on for the last four minutes, making five debutants in one night.

Loftus-Cheek was named as the official man of the match and Pickford would also have been a deserving recipient, especially if the award was made at half-time. Abraham found it harder but England’s new kids on the block should all be better for the experience and the home nation ought to have won it with the final kick of the match. Jesse Lingard, another substitute, was only eight yards out when Harry Maguire’s knock-down fell for him but it was a wild finish and Southgate still had his head in his hands when the final whistle shrilled. It finished as England’s first goalless draw at Wembley in seven years, when Fabio Capello was the manager and Montenegro the opposition in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

The more relevant statistic was that this was England’s least experienced starting line-up, with a combined total of 101 appearances, since Ron Greenwood’s side took on Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in May 1981; and when Jones went off, 25 minutes in, that deprived them of their most-capped player. At that stage the 11 players had, on average, seven caps each.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jordan Pickford kept England in the game with saves from Leroy Sané and Timo Werner. Photograph: John Patrick Fletcher/Action Plus via Getty Images

With that kind of line-up it was probably inevitable that there would be a few spells when England looked what they were: a team that was trying to find some rhythm, unbeaten for eight years in humdrum qualifying groups but still not entirely sure about whether that makes them any good.

Southgate should be absolutely clear now that Pickford is not fazed by the big occasion but, on the flip-side, he might not be too thrilled his goalkeeper was involved so much. In the first half Timo Werner ran free three times. Pickford kept him out every time and, on this evidence, Joe Hart might be a touch fortunate to regain his place when Brazil visit Wembley on Tuesday. Pickford looked supremely confident.

England 0-0 Germany: five talking points from the friendly at Wembley Read more

The same applied to Loftus-Cheek, who grew into the game after a quiet start and even had the impudence to slip the ball through Marcel Halstenberg’s legs in the first half. Nutmegs aside, Loftus-Cheek also came up with one of England’s best passes of the night, sending Jamie Vardy through the middle at the end of the first half. Vardy’s attempt to lob Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was off target and Germany’s goalkeeper kept out the striker’s headed effort early in the second half.

As goalless draws go, it was actually an eventful night – at least, until the last 20 minutes when the game started to drift and the multiple substitutions interrupted the flow. In the previous game at Wembley, England’s fans had amused themselves by showing off their origami skills and throwing paper planes from the stands.

There were more here and one period in the second half when parts of the crowd lit up their camera-phones, as if we were watching an Elton John concert rather than a football match. For the most part, however, there was enough happening to keep the crowd’s attention. The mood, strangely, was more upbeat than it had been during the win against Slovenia that confirmed a place in the World Cup.

Shy Ruben Loftus-Cheek proves fascinating presence against Germany | Barney Ronay Read more

What England could not conjure up was a goal and perhaps there were some beginner’s nerves attached to that moment, inside the opening 90 seconds when Abraham had the chance to get his England career off to a dream start and completely missed Vardy’s cross. By that stage Pickford had already rushed out to save the ball at Werner’s feet after a mistake from Maguire and, when Germany came forward, Leroy Sané in particular was a constant menace.

Sané struck the crossbar with one shot and Jones’s injury came from keeping out the same player with an improvised goal-line clearance.

Jones had heavy strapping on his left thigh and it was tempting to wonder what José Mourinho, his manager at Manchester United, will have made of it in a week of withdrawals from Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur players. That apart, however, England could reflect on a satisfying evening’s work.