England U20 2-0 Germany U20: Young Lions take chances as they survive onslaught

This was a lesson in rule No 1 of international football. Indeed, of all football. You must take your chances.

Germany dominated for long periods of this one, they zipped the ball around like a blur at times and they created a succession of openings that they didn't take in a most un-German manner.

England, by contrast, were second best until midway through the second-half. That was when first Joe Willock and then Lukas Nmecha made Germany pay for their profligacy.

They were pretty much the only times England opened up their opponents all night, but they possessed the lethal finish when it mattered in Colchester.

Arsenal man Willock's opener was a cracker. Nmecha, just off the bench, slid through the perfect through pass and Willock weaved his way past desperate German challenges before ramming the ball home at the near post.

That came after 66 minutes. Three minutes later it was done and dusted.

Arsenal frontman Eddie Nketiah did well down the left and, as Germany's defence inexplicably switched off, he squared for Nmecha, the Manchester City talent on loan at Preston North End, to tap in from two yards out.

At that point, Germany coach Meikel Schonweitz turned behind him with a rueful smile. He knew, everyone knew, that his side should have long been out of sight.

They hit the crossbar, they forced several good saves, there were outbreaks of pinball in the England penalty box. But there Germans didn't score - and they paid for it.

It was only last year that England were crowned world champions at under-20 level but such is the unstoppable conveyor belt of youth international football, that already seems an age ago.

Of course Germany were surprisingly eliminated by Zambia in the last-16 of that tournament in South Korea, but this current crop certainly didn't look too likely to fall victim to a similar humiliation.

Their waves of first-half pressure were as incessant as the Essex drizzle, England rocking and reeling as the visitors completely controlled proceedings.

The Germans were slick in their passing, aided by the fast surface, and their wingers were highly mobile and tricky. The Schalke wideman Benjamin Goller stood out on the left, gliding past English defenders time and time again.

It was only a combination of the reflexes of Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, some timely defensive blocks and sheer good fortune that England didn't trail at the break.

Alfons Amade, of Hoffenheim, was the first to threaten, picking up a scooped pass over England's defence to force Ramsdale into his first of many interventions.

The keeper's second was utterly brilliant, a one-handed touch while diving backwards somehow preventing Amade's looping header finding the net.

England's marking from corners was slack to say the least, with centre-half Nico Schlotterbeck twice ghosting in at the near post to meet Niklas Dorsch's deliveries.

The first drew a low block from Ramsdale; the second, later in the half, clipped the top of the crossbar. England apparently hadn't heeded the warning.

At one point, Goller breezed past three England defenders before curing a cross back to captain Salih Ozcan, whose shot was blocked.

A ferocious shot from range by Hamburg forward Manuel Wintzheimer swerved viciously in the gusty wind but Ramsdale was just about equal to it. Wintzheimer earlier fired wide at the near post.

It took 35 minutes for England to relieve the pressure and carve out their first chances. West Ham's breakout star Grady Diangana and Willock both shot wide at the near post but it would have been mighty harsh on Germany had they trailed at the break.

There was a more encouraging start to the second-half for the hosts, with Willock twisting and turning inside the German box before finding the side-netting. Liverpool's Adam Lewis then tested Markus Schubert with a powerful drive.

They floored Germany with the one-two punch and though the visitors did conjure some late pressure, Ramsdale and England's defenders stood strong.

They will take great heart from their resilience and clinical touch when it mattered as these players aspire to move further through the ranks.