Netherlands vs Germany: Match Preview and Prediction

September 10, 2024. 21:45. Netherlands. Amsterdam. "Johan Cruyff Arena".
UEFA Nations League. League A. Group 3. Matchday 2Netherlands – Germany

Where to watch: MEGOGO, Volia TV

Suspended: none

Injured: Micky van de Ven, Kwilindshi Hartman, Joey Verman, Frenkie de Jong (all – Netherlands)

The national teams of Netherlands and Germany have once again found themselves in the same group of the Nations League. Their first two encounters took place in the inaugural tournament in 2018. At that time, the "Oranje," under the management of Ronald Koeman, demolished the national team with a score of 3:0 at home, while they salvaged a draw away with a late equalizer – 2:2. The following year, these two teams met in the Euro 2020 qualifying group and exchanged away victories, with Germany winning 3:2 and the Netherlands triumphing 4:2. Additionally, they played two friendly matches, finishing 1:1 in Amsterdam in 2022 and 2:1 in Frankfurt in 2024 in favor of the German team.

Netherlands

The "Oranje" have generally fared quite well in the Nations League. In two of the last three tournaments, the Dutch finished atop their group and advanced to the Final Four. However, their success did not continue there – suffering a defeat in the final against Portugal in 2019 and a loss in the semifinals to Croatia in 2023. They finished second behind Italy on another occasion. According to the new regulations, the top two groups from each League A quartet qualify for the playoffs, so the Netherlands will once again be among the best. The only question is what position they will ultimately occupy in their group.

Ronald Koeman's team kicked off the new tournament with an expected and quite convincing home win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, finishing 5:2. In the first half, the "Oranje" scored twice – with Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee netting his debut goal in just his third match for the national team, and AC Milan midfielder Tejaani Reinders giving the hosts the lead for the second time. After the break, Cody Gakpo doubled the lead for the Netherlands, the visitors pulled one back, and at the end of the match, Wout Weghorst and Xavi Simons sealed the final score on the scoreboard.

Germany

Meanwhile, the Germans have not yet finished above second place in any of their Nations League groups. Moreover, they have been third in two of their three attempts. If it weren’t for the change in format after the inaugural tournament, they would have found themselves in League B. To date, the German national team has only managed three victories in 16 matches – two against Ukraine and one against Italy. However, this year, Germany has a chance to finally make it to the playoffs thanks to the changes in regulations. They may not take the first spot again, but the second place would still be beneficial.

Julian Nagelsmann's team started the new Nations League campaign with a vibrant, resounding victory over Hungary in Düsseldorf, winning 5:0. The first half of the match ended with a narrow lead for the Germans, gained through a goal from Niclas Füllkrug. After the break, Jamal Musiala, who also registered three assists, doubled the hosts' advantage. Florian Wirtz and Aleksandar Pavlovic (scoring his debut goal in just his second match for the national team) added to the tally, and finally, Kai Havertz set the final score by converting a penalty.

Netherlands – Germany: Projected Lineups

The Netherlands will still miss wing-back Kwilindshi Hartman and midfielder Frenkie de Jong, and during the September gathering, defender Micky van de Ven and midfielder Joey Verman picked up injuries. Additionally, Stefan de Vrij, Jordan Teze, Ian Maatsen, Ten Kopmeiners, Mats Wiffer, Kenneth Taylor, Steven Bergwijn, and Memphis Depay will not be included in the roster.

As for the German team, Manuel Neuer, Ilkay Gundogan, and Thomas Müller have retired from international duty, while Toni Kroos has announced his retirement altogether. Antonio Rudiger has requested a break, Leroy Sane has just recovered from injury, and a number of players – Julian Brandt, Leon Goretzka, Jonas Hofmann, and Serge Gnabry – have been sidelined by Julian Nagelsmann for nearly a year now.

Netherlands National Team Roster

Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen ("Brighton & Hove"), Mark Flecken ("Brentford"), Nick Olej ("Sparta" Rotterdam);

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk ("Liverpool"), Nathan Ake ("Manchester City"), Matthijs de Ligt ("Manchester United"), Jurriën Timber ("Arsenal"), Jan Paul van Hecke ("Brighton & Hove"), Jeremie Frimpong ("Bayer"), Lutscherel Gertreida ("RB Leipzig"), Denzel Dumfries ("Inter"), Yorrel Gato ("Ajax");

Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch ("Liverpool"), Xavi Simons ("RB Leipzig"), Tejaani Reinders ("Milan"), Jerdy Schouten (PSV), Quinten Timber ("Feyenoord");

Forwards: Cody Gakpo ("Liverpool"), Joshua Zirkzee ("Manchester United"), Justin Kluivert ("Bournemouth"), Donyell Malen ("Borussia" Dortmund), Wout Weghorst, Brian Brobbey (both – "Ajax");

Head Coach: Ronald Koeman.

Germany National Team Roster

Goalkeepers: Marc-André ter Stegen ("Barcelona"), Oliver Baumann ("Hoffenheim"), Alexander Nubel ("Stuttgart");

Defenders: Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck (both – "Borussia" Dortmund), Benjamin Henrichs, David Raum (both – "RB Leipzig"), Joshua Kimmich ("Bayern"), Jonathan Tah ("Bayer"), Robin Koch ("Eintracht"), Maximilian Mittelstadt ("Stuttgart");

Midfielders: Emre Can, Pascal Groß (both – "Borussia" Dortmund), Jamal Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlovic (both – "Bayern"), Florian Wirtz, Robert Andrich (both – "Bayer"), Chris Führich, Angelo Stiller (both – "Stuttgart");

Forwards: Kai Havertz ("Arsenal"), Niclas Füllkrug ("West Ham"), Maximilian Bayer ("Borussia" Dortmund), Deniz Undav ("Stuttgart");

Head Coach: Julian Nagelsmann.

Netherlands – Germany: Author's Prediction

Both teams started the tournament powerfully, but in their head-to-head encounter, one of them, or possibly both, will drop points. The strength of the opponents is fairly even, making it challenging to favor either side. However, there's no doubt about the match's potential for goals, and both teams are likely to score. It seems hard to believe in a win for the Bundesteam, which hasn't played official matches away from home in a long time and has only secured one victory out of eight away matches directly in the Nations League.