24 Sept 2026

Netherlands 1-1 Germany: Late Gakpo levels in Nations League

Amsterdam splits the points after a stoppage-time twist

Netherlands and Germany opened their UEFA Nations League, League A, Group 2 campaigns with a 1-1 draw at Johan Cruijff Arena, and the numbers tell a clear two-act story. Felix Nmecha put Germany in front on 32 minutes from close range after Karim Adeyemi’s involvement in the build-up. The Oranje needed until the 90+2 minute to reply, when Cody Gakpo arrived to turn in Ruben van Bommel’s cross. The late goal matched the overall balance but barely reflected the second-half pressure. Netherlands posted 22 shots to Germany’s 10, with 10 efforts on target to 2. Their xG read 3.12 to 1.50, which underlines how many chances the hosts created. Yet it still finished level, largely because of a standout display in the away goal. On the full match page on Sofascore, the data backs up every twist.

Both sides lined up in a 4-2-3-1 and traded phases of control, but momentum lived with the hosts after the break. Referee Alejandro Hernandez showed five yellow cards, four to Netherlands. Corners ended 12-1 to the Oranje, a stat that hints at the territorial pattern. Big chances were 4-2 to the hosts, yet one was enough per side to put a goal on the board.

Shot volume and xG: one-way traffic after halftime

The total spread was decisive: 22 shots for Netherlands, 10 for Germany, with the hosts leading shots on target 10 to 2. xG swung even harder, 3.12 to 1.50 overall, and it ballooned to 2.61 to 0.24 in the second half alone. Netherlands hit the woodwork once through Mexx Meerdink and produced 16 attempts inside the box, compared to Germany’s 7. The visitors registered no shots on target after halftime, a measure of the Oranje’s control. Touches in the penalty area finished 43 to 26, again in favor of the home side. On another night, the late equalizer would have been a winner based on chance quality. Instead, it salvaged a point that the data says was the minimum return. It also set the tone for a very competitive group start in League A.

In the less flashy but telling categories, Netherlands won 59 percent of all duels, including 60 percent of aerials. They completed more passes (408 to 368) and were more progressive down the stretch, posting 44 final-third entries. Germany cleared their lines 29 times and made 3 out of 8 crosses, compared to the hosts’ 11 out of 28. All arrows point to sustained pressure that finally paid off in added time.

Germany’s early execution and Nmecha’s finish

Germany’s plan worked well before the interval. They edged first-half possession 53 to 47, produced a superior first-half xG of 1.26 to 0.50, and scored from their most dangerous spell. Nmecha’s goal on 32 minutes came via Adeyemi’s involvement and a right-footed finish that carried 0.3833 xG and 0.8258 xGOT. The visitors also created two first-half big chances to the hosts’ one and kept the Oranje to three shots on target before the break. Adeyemi was a live wire with four shots and a big chance missed, though his 5.6 Sofascore Rating reflects how waste can drag down an otherwise active display. Kai Havertz started but had to leave injured on 30 minutes, which trimmed Germany’s hold-up options.

In midfield, Joshua Kimmich stitched play efficiently with 51 of 53 passes completed. The back line split duties: Nico Schlotterbeck posted 8 clearances and 3 blocks, Jonathan Tah added 4 clearances and 2 interceptions, and Philipp Treu chipped in with 3 tackles. That platform, combined with Germany’s direct counters, offered control for 45 minutes. After the break, the dynamic shifted and they were forced deeper, leaning on their goalkeeper and center backs.

Dutch waves, crosses and set-pieces wear Germany down

The hosts turned the match into a crossing drill and a constant recycled attack. Cross accuracy hit 39 percent (11 of 28), with corners at 12 to 1. Tijjani Reijnders delivered 4 accurate crosses and 3 key passes, contributing a 7.7 Sofascore Rating and 0.5047 expected assists. From the bench, Joey Veerman added 5 accurate crosses, 4 key passes and 0.5662 xA in just 33 minutes. Denzel Dumfries repeatedly found angles, creating 2 big chances, generating 0.8178 xA and firing 2 shots. That supply line kept Germany under the cosh as the clock ticked.

Even so, the Oranje were wasteful with 3 big chances missed and 3 offsides. Meerdink’s introduction tilted the penalty-box battle but included a hit off the frame and a missed big chance. Cody Gakpo remained the sharpest knife, scoring with his second shot on target and finishing with 0.4597 xG. Duels ended 59 to 41 in the Netherlands’ favor, and they posted 10 interceptions to Germany’s 5, which kept waves of pressure coming back. The breakthrough finally came when substitute Ruben van Bommel’s right-sided delivery met Gakpo for 1-1 in the 90+2 minute.

Defending under fire, and a keeper who refused to be beaten

Germany’s defensive unit did much of the heavy lifting. Schlotterbeck’s 7.9 Sofascore Rating came with those 8 clearances and 3 blocks, while Tah and Treu combined for another 8 clearances and 4 tackles. As a team, Germany finished with 29 clearances and limited the Oranje to one big chance scored despite the volume. Errors mattered, though: the visitors registered one mistake leading to a goal, which is a harsh cost in a tight game. On the other side, Netherlands defended proactively, winning 50 percent of tackles and recording 10 interceptions and 40 recoveries. Jan Paul van Hecke was immense with an 8.8 Sofascore Rating, 3 shots, 2 tackles won, 6 aerials won and 3 blocks, while passing 67 of 72.

Yet the headline was in goal. Germany needed nine saves to protect the point, and they got all nine, two of them categorized as big saves. The hosts managed just one save at the other end, a neat summary of where the match lived. Without that keeping clinic, the shot map and xG profile suggest a home win. With it, the match became a lesson in resilience and timing.

MVP: Marc-André Ter Stegen

Marc-André Ter Stegen earned the highest Sofascore Rating of the night at 8.9, and the tape matched the number. He produced 9 saves, including 7 from inside the box, which is elite volume for an international away day. His goals prevented figure of 1.8678 shows just how far he pushed the result beyond what the xG on target implied. There were two big saves in the sample, but the value of the routine ones under constant traffic cannot be overstated. He handled 55 touches, dealt with 12 goal kicks and still found time to complete 18 passes and 6 of 23 long balls. Punches and claims eased pressure when Germany were under a set-piece siege.

Shot-stopping was the story, yet composure was the sub-plot. As Netherlands stacked 43 touches in the box and 12 corners, Ter Stegen’s positioning and footwork repeatedly narrowed angles. He also shrugged off a recorded error that led to a shot, bouncing back to make the next save. In a match where the hosts created 3.12 xG, his work converted a likely defeat into a draw. Add in back-line contributions from Schlotterbeck and Tah, and you have a template for surviving a second-half storm on the road.