By Derek Wilson, dpa

Berlin (dpa) – England fought back from two goals down to secure a sensational 3-2 friendly win at World Cup champions Germany in Berlin Saturday with Eric Dier heading in an injury-time winner.

Dier nodded home from a 91st-minute corner kick after Jamie Vardy, who was still playing fifth-level football four years ago, backheeled past Manuel Neuer to equalize three minutes after coming off the bench. Harry Kane had started the comeback on the hour after Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez had put Germany in front.

Security precautions at the Olympic Stadium were stepped up for Germany’s first match since they faced France in November last year when the Stade de France was one of the targets of suicide bombers in terrorist attacks on Paris.

 

Around 1,500 police were on duty in Berlin following the attacks in Brussels last week but no serious incidents were reported.

 

England will be rightly thrilled with their comeback and continue their Euro 2016 preparations against the Netherlands in London on Tuesday.

 

Vardy, the 29-year-old who plays with unfancied Premier League leaders Leicester, certainly staked a claim for a place at the finals in France with his first international goal.

 

Nathaniel Clyde charged down the right and though his cross was a little behind the striker, Vardy superbly flicked the ball beyond Neuer at the near post.

 

«I was trying to make impact, I’ve done that and we won the game,»

Vardy said. «I just wanted to get across near post, get something on it and tried a backheel. Luckily it went in.»

 

Moments earlier Kane had scored an equally impressive strike as he turned Mesut Oezil inside-out following a corner and drilled low into the bottom corner.

 

The impressive Dele Alli somehow shot off-target with the goal at his mercy when he looked set to win the game but instead that honour fell to Dier who rose highest in the box to meet Jordan Henderson’s corner.

 

«It must be close (to the best performance in his reign) – you don’t beat Germany every day,» Hodgson said to ITV.

 

«At half time I thought it was very unjust that we came in at 1-0 down, our keeper was injured and that really hampered him trying to save the long shot from Kroos. At 2-0 down I thought it was even more unfair.

 

«We were creating the better chances and to come back and score three goals was fantastic. The players must take great credit.»

 

The German collapse is certain to be of concern to coach Joachim Loew and he will try to rally his troops before they face Italy in Munich on Tuesday.

 

«In general I believe you can say that England deserved the win,»

Loew told ZDF. «We did not always have control.

 

«Of course it is annoying if you lose after leading 2-0 … I think this might be a good lesson for the team.»

 

Early on the match was even as midfielder Sami Khedria, named captain in the absence of injured Bastian Schweinsteiger, sent a shot off-target while at the other end Gary Cahill failed to direct a free header from a corner.

 

Half chances continued to be spurned as Marco Reus and Alli missed the target before Gomez had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside when he headed in Khedira’s cross.

 

The opening goal was delayed to the 43rd minute as Kroos’ powerful drive from 25 yards snuck inside the post with keeper Jack Butland, who was then stretched off, slow to react. He appeared to have suffered an injury making a clearance just before conceding.

 

With first-choice keeper Joe Hart not in the squad with injury, Fraser Forster took to the field and tipped over a bouncing free kick from Reus soon after the restart.

 

England missed a glorious chance to level when Emre Can, deployed at right-back rather than his customary midfield, made an error in shepherding the ball out of play but Jordan Henderson’s resulting shot was deflected wide.

 

That miss proved costly as Khedira again chipped onto the head of Gomez in the 57th and this time there was no offside flag to deny the forward his first Germany goal since Euro 2012.

 

«I have the power again, and now I have the fitness,» Gomez said «I am working hard, and I want to see if I can help the team.»

 

But with the match seemingly settled, England promptly fought back to maintain their long-standing record of never having lost a match in Berlin.