Jürgen Klopp missed a winning start as Germany coach when Cody Gakpo scored in stoppage time to secure a 1:1 draw for the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24, 2026. Felix Nmecha had given the visitors a first-half lead in the Nations League group stage opener.
Eighty-six days after a disappointing World Cup exit in America, the German national team stepped onto the pitch in Amsterdam with a new identity under a new manager. The opening match of the Nations League group stage offered high tempo, aggressive pressing, and no shortage of friction in a wild football match filled with intensity and passion.
Before kickoff, Klopp told RTL that today can be the first day of our wonderful future. For much of the evening, it looked precisely like that. Yet a late defensive lapse left the squad with a single point instead of a prestigious away victory.
Early Injury Trouble and Felix Nmecha’s Breakthrough
Plans shifted before the whistle even blew. Jamal Musiala felt tightness in his thigh during warmups, forcing Klopp to pull him from the starting lineup and insert Nadiem Amiri in a rapid pre-match reshuffle. Things worsened before halftime when center forward Kai Havertz had to leave the pitch injured after less than half an hour.
Despite the disruptions, Germany pushed forward with the aggressive style promised by the new coaching staff. In the 32nd minute, after a buildup involving Nathaniel Brown, Nadiem Amiri, Joshua Kimmich, debutant Philipp Treu, and Karim Adeyemi, Felix Nmecha pounced on a rebound to smash the ball home for a 1:0 lead.
The goal sparked immediate controversy. Dutch striker Brian Brobbey had gone down injured near the centerline without contact just prior to the sequence. While Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk demanded the ball be kicked out of play, the referee saw no reason to halt play. Refereeing expert Manuel Gräfe explained to BILD that rules require stoppages only for head or severe injuries, meaning the goal stood correctly even if it won no friends on the pitch.
Defensive Wacklers and Marc-André ter Stegen’s Return
The backline endured anxious moments throughout the evening. Early in the match, van Dijk headed in a corner kick that briefly appeared to give the hosts the lead, but a video assistant referee review disallowed the goal for a foul on returning goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
Returning to international duty after a lengthy absence and now playing for Ajax Amsterdam, ter Stegen experienced a mixed night. He struggled with distribution in the first half—completing just nine of 16 passes—and handed the ball straight to Cody Gakpo with a misplaced pass that went unpunished. Yet as the Netherlands pressed relentlessly after halftime, ter Stegen redeemed himself with crucial stops against Denzel Dumfries, Mexx Meerdink, and Ruben van Bommel to preserve the narrow advantage.
Late Stoppage Equalizer Denies the Visitors
Germany squandered a golden chance to double its lead in the 38th minute when Nathaniel Brown crossed to Adeyemi, who lifted his shot over the crossbar from close range. As the match wore on, the Dutch side seized control of the tempo.
Substitute Mexx Meerdink tested ter Stegen repeatedly, hitting the outside of the post on one attempt, while the German defense scrambled to clear waves of pressure. The resistance finally broke in the second minute of stoppage time. Cody Gakpo met a cross with an athletic volley to level the score at 1:1, leaving the new manager and his squad to settle for a frustrating draw.
Wir werden alles versuchen, um eine neue Herangehensweise so schnell wie möglich sichtbar zu machen. Ich erwarte sofort mehr, weil mehr geht immer. Es muss lebendig sein, das ist der Anfang.
The squad returns to action on Sunday in Augsburg, where Greece awaits for the first home fixture of the new era. There, the team will look to stabilize its energy and address mounting personnel gaps under the ongoing group stage schedule.
По теме
