Spain rallied to hold England 2-2; World champions Germany and Italy played out an entertaining 0-0 draw, while Euro 2016 runners-up France were held to 0-0 draw by African champions Ivory Coast in a dull friendly. Images from the international friendlies in Europe on Tuesday:
Spain fight back to snatch draw with England
London: Isco scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as Spain launched an improbable fightback to snatch a 2-2 friendly draw against England with both their goals coming after the 89th minute at Wembley on Tuesday.
England looked like ending a dismal year with a glimmer of hope as a first-half penalty from Adam Lallana and Jamie Vardy's header after the break gave them a thoroughly deserved two-goal lead.
Yet the comeback began with the home fans already heading for the exits as Iago Aspas cut into the area and thumped the ball into the top corner beginning a nervy retreat from England deep into their own territory.
Isco then stunned the Wembley crowd by hitting the ball through substitute keeper Tom Heaton's legs from a tight angle to deprive England boss Gareth Southgate of a major scalp to end his four-game spell in interim charge.
Despite a disappointing end to England's evening, Southgate remains well-placed to take the England job on a permanent basis and the Football Association may feel an otherwise incisive attacking display against one of the world's big hitters has greased the wheels sufficiently for his appointment.
He has now won two and drawn two of his four games in charge but has steered England through a period of turmoil after Sam Allardyce was forced out 67 days into the job following a newspaper sting and Roy Hodgson quit after a dismal Euro 2016.
"I have loved doing it," he told ITV when asked if he wanted the job.
"But it's not my decision, I think we are proud of what we have done with the team. We were asked to take over a situation in a temporary measure and tonight's performance really was very special."
England opened the scoring after nine minutes when Lallana's inch-perfect pass found Vardy running in behind the Spain defence.
While the Leicester striker's first touch was far from perfect, he managed to knock the ball around advancing Spain keeper Pepe Reina, who took the forward's legs away to concede a penalty that Lallana thumped high into the net.
The Liverpool playmaker has scored in each of his last three games for England, having failed to find the net in his previous 26, but his evening was curtailed midway through the first half when he was forced off through injury.
In his absence, England's threat initially dropped, yet they doubled the lead two minutes into the second half as Vardy ended a 14-game goal drought for club and country with a diving header at the far post from Jordan Henderson's cross.
It could have got better for England but substitute Theo Walcott forced Reina to parry a sharp effort and Henderson scuffed the rebound wide, before former Liverpool forward Aspas cut into the England box to thump the ball into the top corner.
That sent jitters through the entire England side, which Isco exploited in the dying seconds.
Italy, Germany play out 0-0 draw, Buffon equals European record
Milan: World champions Germany and Italy played out an entertaining 0-0 draw in their friendly international on Tuesday with both sides missing a string of chances in their final match of the year.
The Germans, who beat Italy twice this year including in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals following a penalty shootout, were without half a dozen key players - with Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil and Jerome Boateng all missing.
In a game which marked Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon earning his 167th cap - equalling the European record - the hosts dominated the encounter but Germany also had their share of chances.
Italy's biggest chance came eight minutes from the end with Andrea Belotti hitting the post with a low shot.
"It was a demanding game, tactically speaking," said Germany coach Joachim Loew. "We managed to draw a lot of conclusions regarding the young players. We did it well for long stretches of the game."
"We have now played six games in a row without conceding a goal so that is also a very positive thing."
Italy, unbeaten at the San Siro, got off to a better start and came close with a lightning quick break but Eder failed to properly connect with a Belotti cutback in the box, leaving Bernd Leno to pick up the loose ball.
The Germans responded with a counter attack of their own and Ilkay Guendogan sent Leon Goretzka through but veteran keeper Buffon, who equalled the European record of Spain's Iker Casillas, reacted quickly to slide in and save.
The hosts, however, kept up the pressure and forward Ciro Immobile thought he had scored when he beat the offside trap to fire past Leno only for his shot to sail narrowly wide.
"The result is acceptable seeing as we played well and gave little to the world champions," Giampiero Ventura, Italy's coach, told reporters.
"We played with different systems and I have to congratulate my players for their overall performance."
Germany put the ball in the net on the hour but Kevin Volland was ruled offside.
Substitute Federico Bernardeschi almost scored with his first touch but his low drive after yet another textbook break by the Italians was saved by Leno, before Belotti hit the woodwork with his right-footed effort a little later.
France held 0-0 by Ivory Coast in lacklustre friendly
Lens: Euro 2016 runners-up France, with a largely revamped side, were held to 0-0 draw by African champions Ivory Coast in a dull friendly at Lens's Stade Bollaert on Tuesday.
After Friday's 2-1 win over Sweden in a World Cup qualifier, France coach Didier Deschamps made seven changes, handing Paris St Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot and Stade Rennes goalkeeper Benoit Costil their first international caps.
With forward Antoine Griezmann ruled out due to a foot injury, Les Bleus struggled to get into their stride as the game failed to ignite on a cold evening in northern France.
The crowd booed at the end of the match, obviously disappointed with France's performance.
"We struggled, that's not what I want to remember from 2016," said Deschamps. "We could have won that game but we could have lost it. We made too many errors, especially in the second half."
Ivory Coast had the best chance in the 11th minute when Adama Traore's 20-metre half-volley crashed against Costil's post and Salomon Kalou, who followed up the shot, poked the ball into the net but his effort was disallowed for offside.
France's best opportunity in the first half came six minutes before the break when N'Golo Kante's fierce 20-metre strike was blocked by goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo.
Moussa Sissoko also had a good chance after the interval but his header from Lucas Digne's cross went just wide.
Eight days before PSG's potential Champions League Group A decider at Arsenal, Rabiot limped off with a muscle injury in the 77th minute before Costil made a superb save to deny Nicolas Pepe from point-blank range in the last minute.
"Adrien (Rabiot) picked up a thigh injury," said Deschamps, without elaborating.
France, who lead World Cup qualifying Group A by three points, next visit Luxembourg on March 25 when the battle to reach the 2018 finals in Russia resumes.
