Jude Bellingham struck in stoppage time to earn an impressive England a 2-2 Wembley draw with Belgium last night after a Youri Tielemans double had threatened a smash and grab victory in an entertaining friendly.
Tielemans put the visitors ahead after 11 minutes with Ivan Toney equalising with a penalty soon after, before Tielemans headed Belgium into a 2-1 halftime lead.
It was harsh on England, who looked unrecognisable in approach from the side beaten by Brazil on Saturday, and they fully deserved their last-gasp equaliser.
“I knew the rubbish we would’ve got if we had lost two games on the bounce,” Bellingham said.
“We should be winning with all the chances we’ve made but these are two games that will stand us in good stead. I know people will be negative but we have to take the positives.
“I’m sure the manager will be happy with how we played. You’re never happy with a loss or a draw but we have to be happy with how we played.”
The match between third-ranked England and their fourth-ranked opponents had a completely different feel to Saturday’s flat affair, where England barely mustered a shot against Brazil and the tone was set after 20 seconds when Toney fired over from a Jarrod Bowen cross.
Belgium, sporting a bizarre kit of light blue shirts and brown shorts against England’s charcoal grey, went ahead when a mis-hit clearance by Jordan Pickford went straight to Amadou Onana and then fell for Tielemans who stroked it into the empty net.
England hit back from the penalty spot within six minutes after Jan Vertonghen brought down Toney and the Brentford striker marked his first start with his first goal via his trademark two stride approach.
With his rivals as back up to the injured Harry Kane failing to make much of a case, it was a huge moment for Toney and his hopes of making the Euros squad.
Bowen thought he had also made a case when he nodded in from close range after a 26th-minute corner but the goal was ruled out for offside.
England, however, were playing with an energy and vibrancy that was so painfully absent on Saturday as Bowen and Bellingham both shot over from good positions.
But it was another mistake by centre back Lewis Dunk – who was at fault for Brazil’s winner – that let Belgium in again. Romelu Lukaku took advantage to clip in a sumptuous cross with the outside of the foot that an unmarked Tielemans met with a diving header after 36 minutes.
England continued to create chances in the second half with Toney, Bellingham and Foden going close and the remarkable 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo making an irresistible case for a Euros berth.
Belgium defended well, however, and looked to have done enough until the hosts launched a final attack down the left with substitute James Maddison whipping in a low cross that the hugely impressive Bellingham coolly slotted in.
It sent England’s fans home happy but also meant Belgium extended their unbeaten run to 12 games under coach Domenico Tedesco.
Meanwhile, Niclas Fuellkrug headed in an 85th minute goal to give Euro 2024 hosts Germany a 2-1 comeback victory over Netherlands in their international friendly and make it two victories from two matches in the past four days.
The Germans had scored after only seven seconds in their 2-0 win over France on Saturday but this time it was their opponents who struck after four minutes with Joey Veerman volleying in following a mistake by defender Maximilian Mittelstaedt.
The hosts, who had more than 70 per cent possession in the first half hour, levelled seven minutes later with Mittelstaedt making amends with perfectly curled shot into the top corner.
Netherlands, winners 4-0 against Scotland on Friday, thought they had done enough for a draw with keeper Bart Verbruggen stopping shots from Jamal Musiala and Thomas Mueller but he was beaten by Fuellkrug, with the ball crossing the line despite the keeper’s effort.
France rallied from an early deficit to beat Chile 3-2 thanks to goals from Youssouf Fofana, Randal Kolo Muani and Oliver Giroud in a friendly at the Stade Velodrome.
The visitors’ early pressure paid off as they opened the scoring after six minutes with a low shot from Marcelino Nunez following a fine passing move from the right.
But Fofana equalised for France in the 18th minute when Kylian Mbappe set him up on the edge of the box to fire past goalkeeper Claudio Bravo off a deflection from the defence.
Kolo Muani put the hosts in front with a close-range header from Theo Hernandez’s pinpoint cross in the 26th minute before Giroud sealed the win in the 72nd, extending his tally as France’s all-time top scorer to 57 goals.
The South Americans pulled one back eight minutes from time through Dario Osorio’s long-range strike but could not prevent their first defeat under new coach Ricardo Gareca.
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