Lukas Podolski marked his 130th and final international appearance with a stunning goal as Germany edged a 1-0 victory over England in Gareth Southgate's first match as permanent manager.

The visitors were on top for the vast majority of the game in Dortmund and hit the post through Adam Lallana in the first half, but the script was written for Podolski to call time on his 12-year international career in style with a memorable winning goal.

Southgate opted to experiment with a 3-4-3 formation as he handed an international debut to Michael Keane and a first England start for Jake Livermore, and the visitors made a bright opening to the match as the front three of Lallana, Jamie Vardy and Dele Alli set the defensive tone by pressing high up the field.

Vardy was unsuccessful with a penalty appeal in the seventh minute when he theatrically went over a sprawling Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but England's first clear chance arrived from a corner moments later when Keane fired over having found space inside the area.

The visitors continued to enjoy the better of things as the half progressed, though, and Eric Dier threatened to break the deadlock with a carbon copy of his dramatic winner from England's victory in Berlin last March when he met Lallana's corner at the near post but couldn't generate the power to test Ter Stegen.

An under-strength Germany side, without the likes of Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer and Julian Draxler, struggled to settle into the game due to England's pressing and they needed the woodwork to come to their rescue shortly after the half-hour mark when Lallana intercepted a loose pass on the halfway line before driving all the way into the box and planting his finish against the inside of the far post.

Podolski was clearly keen to mark his final Germany appearance with a goal, but his shoot-on-sight policy failed to bring success in the first half and he rushed an effort from 25 yards that flew well off target with eight minutes to go until half time.

Dier then fired a free kick narrowly over as England quickly regained control, but it was his Tottenham Hotspur teammate Alli who should have broken the deadlock shortly before the interval. Vardy poked the ball through for Alli who found himself with only the keeper to beat, but Ter Stegen stayed big to make a crucial save.

Having offered very little going forward in the final third throughout the opening 45 minutes, Germany almost made a perfect start to the second half when Joe Hart's punch only went as far as Julian Brandt, whose first-time effort fizzed just past the post.

England were still on top for the most part, though, and Dier forced a smart low save from Ter Stegen 10 minutes into the half before Andre Schurrle then curled an effort a couple of yards wide at the other end moments after coming on as a sub.

The script was written for Podolski, though, and the former Arsenal man ensured a fairytale finale to his storied international career with a stunning strike 20 minutes from time, unleashing an inch-perfect thunderbolt into the top corner from 25 yards.

It was the 31-year-old's 49th international goal, leaving him behind only Miroslav Klose and Gerd Muller in Germany's all-time list, and the captain for the evening saved one of the best for last to leave Hart no chance.

Southgate used the closing stages to hand international debuts to Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse, but the opening goal sparked an improvement from Germany and Leroy Sane almost capitalised on a rare error from Keane when he raced down the left channel, only to see his low drive kept out by Hart.

Despite being on top for the majority of the game England showed few signs of salvaging a deserved draw during the closing stages at Signal Iduna Park, and it was Germany who came closest to the game's second goal when Schurrle saw a deflected effort drift wide.

Ultimately Podolski's wonder-goal was enough to end Germany's three-match losing streak at home to England, though, with Die Mannschaft picking up their first win over the Three Lions on home soil since 1987.

The 31-year-old bows out from the international stage as Germany's third most-capped player of all time after only Lothar Matthaus and Klose and will now focus on a move to Japan at the end of the season.

England, meanwhile, lose for the first time since their exit from Euro 2016 last summer and must now turn their attentions to Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley.