Having picked up just three wins from their 11 matches in 2023 (D2, L6), Euro 2024 hosts Germany secured a morale-boosting victory over France on Saturday to kick-start their preparations for this summer’s tournament.
A clash against the Netherlands promised to be another stern assessment, and it was the Oranje who took an early lead inside four minutes, with Joey Veerman firing a clinical volley into the bottom corner after good work from Memphis Depay.
Undeterred, Nagelsmann’s side found a swift response just seven minutes later, as Maximilian Mittelstädt curled a sublime long-range effort beyond Bart Verbruggen and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
The hosts looked to build on that moment of brilliance as the first half progressed, but Verbruggen stood firm to deny İlkay Gündoğan while Toni Kroos and Jamal Musiala both missed the target with speculative strikes.
Similar to the opening period, the Netherlands started the second half on the front foot, as Donyell Malen saw a tame effort comfortably saved by Marc-André ter Stegen and Depay fired wastefully over the bar when well-placed in the box.
Both sides continued to probe for the game’s third goal with time ticking into the final half-hour, but clear-cut chances came at a premium with a distinct lack of cutting edge in the final third.
Jamal Musiala looked to be the man most likely to find a late winner for the hosts, and the influential midfielder spurned a glorious chance late on when his close-range effort was denied by Verbruggen.
That miss didn’t prove to be costly, however, as with five minutes remaining, Füllkrug rose highest in the box to divert Kroos’ corner over the line, earning Germany a hard-fought victory. As for the Netherlands, their four-game winning streak comes to a disappointing end.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Toni Kroos (Germany)
