9.33pm: FULL TIME: GERMANY 4 ENGLAND 0. Germany are European under-21 champions, and well done to them: they deserved this victory. England failed to produce on the night and were soundly beaten in the end by opponents that hardly looked outstanding, but had in Mesut Ozil the game's best player by some distance. Who to blame? The three suspensions were clearly significant: Walcott as a central striker didn't work out and the crucial second goal was down to a blunder by Loach. Without a credible target man, Pearce's direct-ball tactics were futile and England's midfield spent too much time stroking the ball aimlessly around midfield. The manager waited far too long to change things, not that he had many options from the bench. The lively Milner, on his last appearance for the under-21s, and the determined Cattermole, were the only players to emerge with any real credit. Roll on South Africa, 2010.

9.30pm: I would say that Pearce and his team will be relieved that Fabio Capello missed his flight connection from South Africa and didn't make it to Malmo for the match. But I think we can say with confidence that the England manager will be watching this match on DVD. And grimacing, as he realises that the next generation of England players are infected with the big-game nerves, lack of imagination and mediocre technique that has characterised past eras.

9.27pm: Four minutes of this embarrassment to go. England have mentally disintegrated. Germany maintain their hex over Pearce. And they won't even need penalties.

9.25pm: GOAL FOR GERMANY! Sandro Wagner again. He had loads of space down the left to advance to the edge of the box and curl his shot into the far corner beyond Loach's desperate dive. 4-0. Ouch.

9.24pm: So England are being thrashed by a team that their second-string should have beaten in the group stages. It's hard not to resort to cliches when describing this German team because they clearly possess many of the virtues of the successful Germany senior sides of the past: efficient, effective, develop as the tournament goes on, able to beat teams who have better individuals. Not that England's highly-paid, heavily-hyped individuals have been up to much tonight.

9.19pm: GOAL FOR GERMANY! Ozil (him again) slips in Wagner down the left and his left-footed shot from ten yards nutmegs Loach. 3-0 and it's all over. Jack Rodwell had replaced Fabrice Muamba seconds earlier. Too little, too late, Psycho.

9.18pm: The Arshavin-like Ozil gets beyond Cranie - who's looked out of his depth - on the left and sends a perfect pass across the face of England's goal, leaving Wagner with a tap-in from three yards at the far post for 3-0. Which he fluffs.

9.16pm: Fifteen minutes to go and it's hard to see how England are going to turn this round. They've had one or two flurries in attack, but they're running out of energy and ideas - and they didn't have many of those to begin with. The Germans, always the more composed and effective side, are relatively comfortable and will have chances to make the game safe as England leave gaps in defence. Walcott almost touched the ball just now.

9.11pm: So close x2: Cattermole's header from a corner is cleared off the far post by Beck.

9.06pm: Sebastian Boenisch is booked for a very late, Stuart Pearce-style lunging challenge on Milner. Which Pearce is upset about.

9.03pm: So close for England. Milner does brilliantly to slalom into the box and pulls the ball back from the by-line for Adam Johnson, at point-blank range, whose deft backheel is cleared desperately by Beck.

8.59pm: Lee Cattermole clips the top of the bar with a firmly-struck long-range effort. Is Walcott still on the pitch? That Croatia hat-trick seems a long time ago.