There are many who believe that their European Championship victory in 1972 was an even better performance than the World Cup triumph which followed two years later.

It was one match in particular, exactly 50 years ago on a rainy night at Wembley Stadium, which is remembered above all others.

"The national team of 1972 combined so fluidly, especially at Wembley that it is still considered by many fans and experts to be the best in history," German sports magazine Kicker declared.

Two years before in 1970, West Germany had reached the FIFA World Cup semi finals in Mexico.

They were inspired by Bayern Munich's Franz Beckenbauer, known as "Der Kaiser", and fuelled by the goals scored by Beckenbauer's club mate Gerd Muller who was nicknamed "Der Bomber".

Muller scored ten goals in Mexico to win the golden boot.

The Germans had been chosen to host the 1974 World Cup and there was cause for optimism.

Within a year though, West German domestic football was plunged into crisis by a match fixing scandal which implicated 10 Bundesliga clubs and at least 60 players.

Amongst those punished were Schalke 04's Reinhard Libuda, a key figure in 1970 and promising under-23 striker Klaus Fischer.

It was an episode which shook the game in West Germany to its very core.

"If we are not seen to root out this scandal which we now suspect has been going on for two or three years, football will die in our country," West German football association  official Wilfrid Gerhardt said.

"The public need to know we are running a genuine sport." 

For the 1972 European Championships, there was no complex qualification "pathway" as witnessed at Euro 2020 or for that matter on the road to Qatar 2022.

In fact, the route to the last-eight was reassuringly simple and brutal and only group winners qualified for the quarter-finals.

It was not until the final four nations were known that one was nominated to host semi-finals and final.

It had already been agreed that if England won their quarter-final, then the semi-finals would be held at Hillsborough.

In such a case, the final was to be at Wembley.

Although England were no longer World Champions, they were still respected and feared throughout Europe and still managed by Sir Alf Ramsey.

Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Alan Ball, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst remained from the team which played in the 1966 World Cup final.

In European qualification, England overcame Switzerland, Malta and Greece to qualify but Greek captain Dmitris Domazos had been unimpressed.

"They are an ageing side and it shows in their play," Domazos said.

The Germans were also unbeaten but similarly unconvincing in the group stages.

They drew at home against Turkey and Poland and only defeated Albania 2-0.

When the quarter final draw was made, the Germans were paired with England. 

"It would be better for Germany to lose to England than to lose the fight against bribery," West German head coach Helmut Schoen said, mindful of the bribery scandal.

Kicker's cover carried the headline "We want to break the spell of Wembley!".

The West Germans had never won at the stadium where England had beaten them in 1966.

In fact, they had only defeated England for the first time in 1968, but their recovery from a two goal deficit to beat England 3-2 in the 1970 World Cup quarter final probably had a more far reaching psychological effect than was realised at the time.

In the issue which previewed the match at Wembley, Kicker magazine carried a photograph of Borussia Mönchengladbach's Gunter Netzer.

Now almost 28, he had inspired Gladbach to Bundesliga titles in both 1970 and 1971.

He also scored twice in a match still remembered by their supporters, even though the details are no longer included in official records.

In 1971, Mönchengladbach beat Internazionale 7-1 in a European Cup tie, but during the match Inter's Roberto Boninsegna was struck by a can thrown from the crowd as UEFA struck off the match and ordered a replay.

Netzer was included in the squad for Wembley and in the official programme, the team was introduced.

"West Germany is anxious to do well in the European Championship as this competition has never been one of its successful ventures before," programme writer Jack Rollin suggested.

"Coupled with their strength, approach, spirit, ability and resolution, the Germans make formidable opponents." 

The West German squad also included a confident Uli Hoeness who had just turned 20.

He was still playing as an amateur, in order to ensure his availability for the Olympic Games to be held in Munich later that year.

"We are at the 'in-between' stage preparing for 1974," Hoeness explained.

"As for England’s idea that they can mark out Netzer, once he’s in position, no one in the world can out manoeuvre him," he added confidently.

Programme notes described Netzer as "midfield schemer in chief".

On Saturday, April 29th 1972, it rained heavily throughout much of the British Isles.

The touring Australian cricketers were among those watching the rain fall, as the first day of their match against Worcestershire was washed out.

The damp conditions gave little indication of the magic that was to follow.

The pre-match entertainment had been provided by the massed band of the Grenadier, Scots and Welsh guards, who played their version of "Beg Steal or Borrow" - Britain's 1972 Eurovision Song Contest entry.

None of the above were necessary when Uli Hoeness opened the scoring for the West Germans after an uncharacteristic moment of hesitation from Moore.

From then on, Netzer dominated the play with a masterful display.

"In London, England were overcome by the attacking play of our eleven," wrote Kicker’s editor in chief, Karl-Heinz Heimann.

"Netzer surpassed them all."

Francis Lee equalised for England late in the second half, but the Germans pressed on.

Netzer himself converted a penalty, before Muller scored the third with a typically swift and deadly finish.

"It is always a disappointment when one is beaten and we will have to give a very much improved performance if we are to win next time," Ramsey admitted afterwards.

"The West Germans gave a tremendous team performance of all round strength, I was surprised they came at us so much in the first half but it was probably our fault," he conceded.

The condemnation of England's tactics and performance was swift.

"The Germans beat us hands down for attitude and that’s what’s got to change," Manchester City manager Joe Mercer said.

Netzer's virtuosity was noted in Spain where the newspaper Mundo Deportivo described him as "the great star of the German team" and within a year, he had signed for Real Madrid.

Even so, many in Germany fretted that England would do better in the second leg.

"Don’t let it go is the watchword!" said Kicker's headline.  

Goalkeeper Sepp Maier insisted "the tie is not all over yet".

A fortnight later on another rainy day, this time in Berlin's Olympic stadium, the second leg possessed little of the sparkle of the first encounter.

Many felt that Ramsey had chosen his team with damage limitation in mind.

"The whole England team autographed my leg," Netzer was said to have complained.

The match ended 0-0, sending the Germans through to join the Soviet Union, Hungary and Belgium, now designated as hosts for the for the semi-finals and final matches which were to be played in June.

The Soviets beat Hungary 1-0 in Brussels.

Meanwhile in Antwerp, Netzer’s skill and Muller's finishing gave West Germany a 2-1 win against Belgium.

Muller scored twice more in a 3-0 final win against the Soviets for Beckenbauer to lift the Delaunay Trophy.

Netzer was the man of the moment, but two years later he was largely sidelined as West Germany won the World Cup. 

He came on once as a substitute but could do nothing to prevent an infamous defeat at the hands of East Germany in what proved his only appearance in the World Cup finals.

In the days which followed, it also rained heavily during Germany's victory over Sweden and another downpour came before West Germany's showdown with Poland.

"The deciding match was spoilt by the rain-soaked ground," the official FIFA technical report admitted. 

"Despite a delayed start, the ground was full of pools of water and mire spots so that sometimes the ball stopped dead and sometimes it skidded across the surface."

Muller’s goal was enough to put West Germany in the final.

There, thankfully on a dry afternoon, they overcame Johan Cruyff and the mighty Dutch team to lift the new FIFA World Cup but for all that, a rainy night at Wembley 50 years ago is still considered the ultimate performance from what many Germans still call the "Team of the Century".