England had stumbled in on someone else’s party and the way the guest of honour effortlessly shaped the script to his own ends certainly took the sheen off what, by most measures, was a beginning of promise for Gareth Southgate’s England. Lukas Podolski’s finish was a measure of the uncomplicated and game-changing genius Germany bring: a standard to aim for.

What we witnessed from England was more prosaic: a performance of intelligence and creation in which Southgate demonstrated a tactical imagination we have not seen in our international manager for years.

Though we seem to be locked in an eternal process of looking for signs, there should be frustration at chances spurned, rather than desolation at the size of the mountain ahead.

Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Marc-Andre ter Stegen – 6 out of 10 Rash when coming out to challenge Vardy early on, but stood firm to block Alli’s decent chance towards the end of the first half. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Joshua Kimmich – 7 out of 10 One of the few young German players to have a decent evening and potentially sent a message to Carlo Ancelotti, who has not offered him much playing time this season. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Mats Hummels – 7 out of 10 Germany’s best all-round performer, rarely looked troubled by England’s attacking talents. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Antonio Rudiger – 6 out of 10 A solid display, if unspectacular. Did well on the rare occasions when England went aerial. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Jonas Hector – 7 out of 10 Impressed after taking his time to grow into the game. His link-up play with Sane in the second-half was at the root of all England’s problems. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Julian Weigl – 5 out of 10 The main culprit in Germany’s surprising struggle to who Hauled off for Liverpool’s Emre Can midway through the second half. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Toni Kroos – 5 out of 10 Surprisingly poor when it came to the simple stuff, misplaced several passes when not under pressure. Struggled to win his battle against the lesser light of Livermore. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Leroy Sane – 6 out of 10 Did not crackle like we know he can from his recent Manchester City form, but another who improved as the evening went on. Perhaps should’ve doubled Germany’s lead. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Julian Brandt – 4 out of 10 Another player reportedly attracting Premier League interest, he did not show why here. Switched for Andre Schurrle. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Lukas Podolski – 6 out of 10 The equivalent of a testimonial for the veteran and you could tell from his first-half performance. Then came Der Hammer, as Germany’s support calls his left peg. A stunning winner. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Timo Werner – 4 out of 10 The RB Leipzig frontman, a reported target for Liverpool, failed to translate his exciting form at club level to the international stage. Disappointing, but it was only his debut. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Joe Hart – 7 out of 10 Could do little for Podolski’s goal, but did well shortly after to deny Sane with an excellent stop down low to his left. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Gary Cahill – 4 out of 10 Lucky not to concede a penalty for needlessly leaning into a cross in the first-half and could have done better to stop Podolski’s screamer. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Michael Keane – 6 out of 10 Asked to play in a back three on his debut after excelling in a rigid four at Turf Moor all season, but coped admirably. One lapse in concentration was almost punished by Sane. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Chris Smalling – 5 out of 10 An indifferent night from the centre-half. Unlike Cahill, he was rarely called into question, but still did not convince. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Kyle Walker – 6 out of 10 Showed why he will be integral to Southgate’s England in his forays down the right flank, but only did so in glimpses. Hector and Sane began to cause him problems has the game went on. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Eric Dier – 6 out of 10 A lucky boy not to be severely punished for a late, robust tackle on Weigl. That aside, he helped to stifle Germany’s midfield. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Jake Livermore – 7 out of 10 Not everyone’s idea of a no 7, but combined well with Dier in the centre of the park to disrupt Germany’s passing, particularly in the first half. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Ryan Bertrand – 6 out of 10 Not as threatening as Walker was in moments, but defensively solid and frustrated Brandt in the first-half. Schurrle gave him a few more problems after the break. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Dele Alli – 7 out of 10 England’s main creative outlet, but also found himself on the end of several chances. Should have opened the scoring with the first-half’s best chance but hit it straight at Ter Stegen. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Adam Lallana – 7 out of 10 Came close to scoring in his fourth straight England appearance, but thwacked the post after an impressive burst forward. Germany 1 England 0 player ratings Jamie Vardy – 5 out of 10 Aggrieved to have not won a penalty early on, but you could tell he was looking for it. Too deep at times too, despite Germany’s defensive line offering him space in behind.

With the caveat that the home side were operating well beneath optimum intensity, Michael Keane did enough to suggest he can be a regular presence in England’s defence: surer in possession and less inclined to complicate the game than Manchester City’s John Stones.

Though not totally consistent in his passing, Jake Livermore buzzed around the midfield effectively. And though Southgate said he’d had to “walk” the players through a formation built around three-man defence, it played to his squad’s strengths. The wing backs allowed Adam Lallana and Dele Alli – the night’s outstanding players – to tuck in and cause danger.

Dele Alli was guilty of missing England's best first-half chance (Getty)

A puzzle resides in where Jamie Vardy fits into a team which plays the ball on the floor. He was an isolated figure in a team whose trigger reaction is not to deliver the long ball he wants to seize upon. Harry Kane is more likely to make more out of this system.

Southgate’s own willingness to take tactical risks offered the greatest sign of something new, though. We were watching the first three-man England defence since that desperate night in Zagreb’s Stadion Maksimir against Croatia, nine years ago, which brought down the curtain crashing down on Steve McClaren’s unhappy tenure.

The size of the gamble was compounded by the presence of Keane – an England debutante who has been playing in a four-man Burnley defence all season – in the three-man unit.

Michael Keane coped admirably on his international debut (Getty)

In Keane’s performance, which included one fine block, there was evidence of the value attached to having a manager who has handled his players at under-21 level, too, and knows them. Southgate observed afterwards that the 24-year-old had “played in under-21s at full back and centre back so the system was going to suit him no problem.”

It does not seem to be clutching at straws to say that the adaptability is a part of the modernity which England have lacked as Germany have soared above them in the past 15 years. Southgate said he’d decided on the system six weeks ago, having seen Germany “pin teams back and you end up with six at the back if you play with the system we have played in the past.

I didn’t want to sit there and take pressure all night.” This took us a long way from the Roy Hodgson decision making which sometimes seemed so on-the-hoof. Rooney the England central midfielder materialised in the last warm-up game before Euro 2016, remember.

So yes, this image of England out on the field of play was a more modern affair: certainly more so than the substantial English contingent offered more of that wretched singing about ’50 German bombers’ which was a soundtrack to last summer’s European championships.

The night belonged to Podolski, who leaves the international stage (Getty)

For as long as there is not clinical finishing – a desire to drive opposition into the dust – the optimism is built on a hypothesis. Adam Lallana’s decision to shoot rather than level for Jamie Vardy after a first breakaway was the correct one, as the Leicester striker had not provided the kind of movement to free him from German attention. Vardy did not have the faculty to create an option, when the moment arrived, seconds before Lallana went solo and struck the post

The second outstanding opportunity delivered poor finishing by Dele Alli – a significant minus against the positives stacked up in his name. One-on-one, staring at the whites in Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s eyes, he struck the ball straight at him. Against opposition of this standard, it was a miss of criminal proportions.

Podolski stepped up to delive what England were missing, though the sight of Joe Hart offering congratulations to the player after the ball had sailed past him was not welcome. The full-time whistle is the time for that. Winners hate to concede, whoever’s show it might be.

Germany (4-4-2): Ter Stegen; Kimmich, Hummels, Rudiger, Hector; Brandt (Schurrle 60), Kroos, Weigl (Can 66), Sane; Werner (Muller 76), Podolski (Rudy 84).

England (3-4-2-1): Hart; Keane, Cahill, Smalling (Stones 84); Walker, Dier, Livermore (Ward-Prowse 83), Bertrand (Shaw 83); Alli (Lingard 70), Lallana (Redmond 65); Vardy (Rashford 70).