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Germany had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Argentina in their friendly in Dortmund despite Serge Gnabry continuing his rich vein of form.

Gnabry, who bagged four goals in Bayern Munich’s 7-2 thrashing of Tottenham in the Champions League last week, opened the scoring on 15 minutes and then set up Kai Havertz to make it 2-0 at Signal Iduna Park.

However, an Argentina side without the suspended Lionel Messi fought back in the second half to secure a draw thanks to goals from substitutes Lucas Olario and Lucas Ocampos.

Germany should have opened the scoring after 14 minutes after some intricate, one-touch football allowed them to play out of their own half and release Julian Brandt down the right, but the Borussia Dortmund winger’s shot was too close to goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin, who saved with his feet.

However, the home side kept Argentina pegged back and deservedly went in front just two minutes later as Lukas Klostermann pulled the ball back from the byline and Gnabry nudged the ball beyond Marcos Rojo’s lunging tackle before lifting it into the far corner.

That was Gnabry’s 10th goal for his country from just his 11th appearance and the 24-year-old turned provider five minutes later to set up Germany’s second of the night.

Manchester United defender Rojo was caught in possession five yards inside Germany’s half and Klostermann surged forward before feeding Gnabry to square the ball for Havertz, who was left with the simple task of sliding in his first international goal.

The home side were inches away from extending their lead shortly after the half-hour when Marcel Halstenberg curled a free-kick against the underside of the bar from 25 yards out and Niklas Sule was unable to head the rebound on target.

The bar was probably still reverberating by the time Argentina struck the woodwork at the other end, midfielder Rodrigo De Paul unleashing a thunderous drive which came back off the post.

Emre Can came close to extending Germany’s lead early in the second half but Joachim Low’s side were ultimately punished for taking their foot off the gas as Manuel Acuna’s cross was brilliantly headed into the far corner by Alario midway through the second half.

Alario, who had come off the bench just four minutes before scoring, also saw a shot deflected inches wide before Ocampos responded to being booked for bringing down Klostermann by curling home the equaliser five minutes from time with a shot which took a slight deflection off the unfortunate Can.

Trent Alexander-Arnold insists England must improve their defensive record if they are to stand any chance of winning Euro 2020.

The Three Lions can assure themselves of a place in next summer’s finals if they beat the Czech Republic in their Group A qualifier in Prague on Friday night.

Gareth Southgate’s side are firm favourites to advance after a perfect start to the qualification campaign – including a 5-0 win over their next opponents at Wembley in March.

But, while the attacking abilities of the likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho are being heralded, England have had some issues at the back of late.

A 5-3 win over Kosovo at Southampton last month did little to paper over cracks that were open for all to see when Holland won 3-1 in the Nations League semi-final in June.

Individual errors accounted for many of the goals shipped across those two games as Southgate continues to strive for a settled – and in-form – back four.

“If we want to be regarded as one of the best teams in Europe and go far in the Euros, and try and win the competition, our clean sheets and goals conceded must be fewer,” Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold admitted.

“We have to concede less goals. As defenders, as a team and as a unit we know where to improve and where to work on.

“Some games, it just happens. We will analyse what went wrong and try and make sure it does not happen again.

“Kosovo, really, were an underrated side and we had massive respect for them before the game and we knew they had threats and, luckily for us, were able to outscore them but we were not happy with the goals we conceded and we need to work on it.”

Alexander-Arnold also revealed the players were planning on holding a meeting before the game in Prague and the subsequent trip to Sofia to face Bulgaria three days later.

“As players we analyse our games, we know during the game what’s going right and what’s not,” he said.

“No, we’ve not had the meeting yet but we will over the next few days to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s important to look back on our game and see where we need to improve.

“The obvious one is that the amount of goals we conceded was not good. It’s about making sure we get that right this time.”

Champions League-winning right-back Alexander-Arnold will battle with Kieran Trippier for a place in Southgate’s team on Friday night.

The pair have, for the time being, seen off the challenge of Kyle Walker – who has missed out on the last two squads.

It remains to be seen who Southgate opts for in the centre of his defence with uncapped pair Tyrone Mings and Fikayo Tomori pushing more established names such as Harry Maguire, Michael Keane and Joe Gomez for a place in the side.

Callum Wilson is primed and ready to make his mark for England – a level he felt born to play at even when lining up for Kettering and Tamworth.

Like so many of the players Gareth Southgate has relied on during his Three Lions tenure, the 27-year-old is reaping the rewards of taking the path less travelled.

Wilson spent time on loan at non-league sides Kettering and Tamworth before kicking on at hometown club Coventry and helping Bournemouth reach the Premier League – a level both club and player have flourished at.

The striker has netted five top-flight goals so far this term and has quietly gone about establishing himself as an England squad regular, with this his fifth straight call-up.

And while the presence of skipper Harry Kane has restricted him to just three caps to date, there is a hunger and confidence about a player who has risen through the leagues and overcome two serious knee injuries.

“When I get here – train well, wait for my opportunity, be patient,” Wilson said. “Harry is a great player.

“I’m not saying I want to kick him out of the team, but with injuries, things that happen along the way, you have to be ready to grasp the opportunity, whether it is one minute, 20 minutes, the opening whistle.

“It’s not just thinking: ‘Harry is going to play’. Anything could happen and I have to be ready to come on and make a difference. I am fully focused.”

Wilson has learned from Kane’s clinical focus in training as well in matches – a mental edge that complements self-belief that onlookers could have felt strayed into delusion during his time in non-league football.

“I was playing on loan at Kettering and Tamworth, and I said I will play for England one day,” he said when asked if his rise had surpassed expectations. “Everyone calls me self-confident.

“If you don’t believe you can get somewhere you will never get there, that was always the aim to play for the national team, to play in the Premier League.

“When I got there, I felt I had been there before because in my head I had been there.

“I never actually told any of the players, it’s a bit disrespectful when a lot of them players were a bit older and never got that opportunity, they would think: ‘Young, little whippersnapper coming in, saying he’s going to play for England, get out of here’.

“For me, I basically told family, friends, they all said: ‘Yes, go for it’. Some games you would be playing terrible and I’d think: ‘No it’s never going to happen’, but you have to keep that belief there, and here I am.”

Wilson fondly remembers his time in the National League, where the smell of burgers and chips filled the air as he ran up and down the line in front of fans leaning over advertising hoardings.

Those experiences “toughened” up a player now hoping to add to his three-cap haul in the Euro 2020 qualifiers away to the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

The latter match has come under particular focus given the potential for racism, which Wilson saw first-hand as part of the side that won 5-1 in Montenegro to a backdrop of some sickening abuse.

“We know there is a protocol to follow and we will make sure everyone abides by those rules,” Wilson said.

“We are not expecting it to happen but in the modern day it is still happening so we will see what happens when we get there.

“You go through the steps and if it still carries on, you expect UEFA to step in.

“If the protocol has not worked, I am sure they will take us off the pitch. If, after that has happened, we take ourselves off then so be it.”