As in the group stage, it was Raheem Sterling who was a Three Lions goalscorer with the opening strike, added to by a header from Harry Kane for a 2-0 victory.Sterling netted 15 minutes before the end of what was a largely even and at times uneventful game, with Kane on target in the 86th minute, after England had counted their blessings when Thomas Muller missed a gilt-edge chance for the Germans shortly after the opening goal.

It was a fixture that needed little pre-match hype and playing at a Wembley whose attendance had been increased to half-full, it was no surprise there was plenty of tension in the early part of the game. Werner had one of the best chances in the first half and for England, Kane did not take an opportunity just before the interval.Havertz was denied by a good save early in what was mostly a drab second half, but one lit up near the end by the drama of the England goals, sandwiching the Muller miss.Germany named all three of their Chelsea players in their starting line-up with Werner given his first start of the Euros. He came in for Serge Gnabry.For England, Mason Mount was on the bench having missed the last group game completely due to his period of isolation. Ben Chilwell was not among the subs but Reece James was. The Three Lions matched Germany up by playing with a back-three.It was a defence that was the busier in the early stages as Germany enjoyed greater possession and pushed further forward. Werner had a through ball to chase but Jordan Pickford in the England goal won the race.It was Havertz who shot from a German free-kick routine from a dangerous position but the England wall did its job.

With 15 minutes gone, England came alive when a curling strike from Sterling was saved by a diving Manuel Neuer. The game became more balanced and Germany began to concede free-kicks inside their half.England centre-back Harry Maguire clearly knew he should have done better with a heading chance in open play with 26 minutes on the clock.Germany had been kept away from the England goal for some time but the home side were thankful when a dangerous cross evaded everyone in the middle, shortly before the Chelsea two combined on 32 minutes. Havertz played the ball forward for Werner who could not beat Pickford with his shot. It was the most incisive move by either side at that stage.

However in the minute of added time before half-time, England were asking themselves how they had not taken the lead. A Sterling run was halted on the edge of the area but the ball broke the way of Kane. It looked to have opened up for a goal but the England captain’s touch lacked control and the ball was scrambled away.Within three minutes of the restart, Havertz caught his volley perfectly from the edge of the area but was thwarted by a flying save.

Then Rudiger, who had been tested at times by England, did well to dispossess Sterling and send Germany on the attack through the Havertz-Werner link again, but England defended soundly. Both defences were on top.

Werner was withdrawn midway through the second half with Gnabry brought on but it was England who found the goal – Sterling beginning the move and then finishing it when he got on the end of a Luke Shaw ball in.Sterling’s match almost took a big turn for the worse when his pass back was snapped up by Havertz to send Muller through one-on-one, but the Bayern man fluffed his lines big time when he dragged his shot wide.England’s two-goal cushion was established when Kane stooped to head in a cross from substitute Jack Grealish.

It had looked at one stage in the second half that Reece James would be introduced by Gareth Southgate when Kieran Trippier appeared to have tweaked his hamstring, but the right wing-back made it through to the end.England will now play Ukraine who beat Sweden 2-1 after extra time in Tuesday’s later game. That quarter-final is on Saturday in Rome.