UEFA Nations League,
League A – 1

Netherlands
NED

24/09/2026
19:45

Germany
GER

Alejandro Hernandez

Netherlands v Germany Nations League preview

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk says it will be “great” to be reunited with Jurgen Klopp when the new Germany head coach takes his team to the Johan Cruyff Arena in their Nations League opener on Thursday.

Klopp and Netherlands counterpart Xavi both took over following underwhelming World Cup campaigns for the countries, putting Van Dijk on course to meet the manager with whom he won every major domestic English trophy at least once and the Champions League between 2019 and 2024.

“He was a very important person in my career, along with Ronald Koeman [Van Dijk’s former boss with Southampton and Oranje],” reflected Van Dijk (via Telegraaf).

“I was able to speak to him during the World Cup after a training session in Dallas. It will be nice to see him again, but hopefully we can ensure he loses his first match as Germany’s national coach.

“We didn’t do well enough [at the World Cup]. That is clear. In hindsight, it is easy to say what we should have done differently, but we failed [exiting to Morocco in the last 32].

“Those are the hard facts. As the Netherlands, you shouldn’t be eliminated so early.”

Younes Ebnoutalib is one of the newcomers in the visitors’ squad and the Frankfurt forward says he was “teary-eyed” after receiving the call.

“[Klopp wants us to] represent the German national team with pride and, even when things aren’t going well, give it our all,” added the 23-year-old, via DFB.

“[He is] one of the best coaches in the world. I’m just trying to give my best and hope that I’ll get plenty of playing time.”

In his first management role since leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season, Klopp has named one squad for the trip to Amsterdam and home game against Greece on Sunday and another for the home match with Serbia on Thursday and away fixture against Greece on October 4 (all 19:45 BST).

“Putting the squad together was fun,” said the 59-year-old. “We took a different approach and didn’t look for what we didn’t have, but rather for what we did have.

“We want to prepare the players so they’ll be at the top level in the next two or three years. It’s important to want to develop yourself.

“There are a few guys who are surprising us, but we saw something in them and want to be part of their development. In recent weeks, we’ve noticed a lot of talent – so much that we can’t even include everyone.

“I’m very happy with the selection; the discussions with the players were great. It was really fun to talk to them. I can say that playing for the national team means an incredible amount to all of them.”

Holland v Germany Nations League team news

Xavi has called up newcomers in PSV winger Ruben van Bommel and Feyenoord’s Gjivai Zechiel, who is competing for midfield places alongside the restored Joey Veerman, of Borussia Dortmund, and Kenneth Taylor, of Lazio.

Midfielders Marten de Roon and forwards Wout Weghorst and Memphis Depay have been dropped from the World Cup squad but Liverpool wideman Jeremie Frimpong returns.

“The hardest part was talking to Memphis,” said Xavi. “I know him and have a good relationship with him. The conversation with him was great.

“He understood everything. I want to emphasise that the door is not closed for Memphis, and that applies to all players. He has shown a lot of maturity and intelligence.”

PSV midfielder Guus Til, who was initially dropped from the squad, has received a late call-up alongside AZ forward Mexx Meerdink because of injuries to Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert and Roma’s Donyell Malen.

Arsenal full-back Jurrien Timber, who missed the finals with a groin injury, has been training separately but is fit, while Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and Brighton & Hove Albion full-back or midfielder Mats Wieffer are sidelined.

Germany’s newcomers in this squad also include Freiburg right-back Philipp Treu, centre-back Max Rosenfelder and midfielder Yannik Engelhardt, Augsburg left-back Hennes Behrens and Hoffenheim forward Bambase Conte.

Ajax goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and defenders Yann Bisseck, of Inter, and Josha Vagnoman, of Stuttgart, are back, as are forwards Anton Stach (Leeds United), Chris Fuhrich (Stuttgart), Kevin Schade (Brentford) and Serge Gnabry (Bayern).

Brajan Gruda has withdrawn with an abdominal injury the Brighton attacking midfielder suffered while playing for Leipzig at Leverkusen on Sunday.

Netherlands v Germany predicted Nations League line ups

Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen, Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders, Crysencio Summerville, Donyell Malen, Brian Brobbey

Germany: Alex Nubel, Joshua Kimmich, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown, Jamal Musiala, Nadiem Amiri, Yannik Engelhardt, Serge Gnabry, Anton Stach, Kai Havertz

Holland v Germany stats, form

• Six of the last 10 encounters and each of the last two between these teams in the Netherlands have been draws, with each side winning twice each as part of a sequence stretching back to a friendly in October 1980
• Before Germany won the most recent meeting 1-0 in Munich in October 2024, both teams had scored in six successive editions of the fixture at an average of four goals a game
• Germany have won five, drawn five and lost three of their trips to Amsterdam, most recently earning a 2-2 draw in the Nations League in September 2024 after Tijjani Reijnders had scored the fastest goal in a game between the countries since 1974 by netting after 98 seconds
• They are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the Netherlands (W2) and have lost one of the last seven editions of the fixture, succumbing to late goals from Donyell Malen and Georginio Wijnaldum in a 4-2 Euro qualifying defeat in September 2019 after Gnabry scored the opener
• Only one of their last six away games against the Netherlands has ended in defeat, losing 3-0 in the Nations League in October 2018 to goals from Van Dijk, Depay and Wijnaldum as part of a campaign that culminated in their opponents reaching the final for the first and only time so far in the inaugural edition of the tournament
• Die Mannschaft have lost their last two and are winless in three Nations League matches, although their last victory was their last away game in the competition with a 2-1 triumph against Italy in Milan in March 2025
• The Netherlands have 12 wins to Germany’s 18 in the history of the fixture, with 18 draws and Oranje trailing by an aggregate score of 90-79
• They have not lost a competitive home match since a 2-1 defeat to France in Euro 2024 qualifying in October 2023, winning six times and drawing on three occasions since
• Each of the Netherlands’ last three Nations League matches have resulted in draws after 90 minutes, with their last six in Holland averaging five goals (including extra time)
• Since a 4-0 home win other Lithuania in World Cup qualifying in November 2025, the Netherlands have not kept a clean sheet in eight matches – although they have conceded exactly once in seven of those games

Where to watch Netherlands v Germany: TV channel, live online streams

Kick-off on Thursday is at 19:45 BST (14:45 ET / 11:45 PT). This match is not being shown live in the UK.

For worldwide broadcast details, visit UEFA’s Nations League international broadcasters.

Netherlands v Germany prediction

Netherlands

2 – 2

Germany

Two managers with attacking instincts, a fixture with a history of entertainment and the potential for tactical and selection experimentation make this another potentially high-scoring showdown between the neighbours