After a winning start to their Nations League campaign, the Netherlands and Germany will be looking for their second win when they square up against each other on Tuesday.
The Netherlands are all set to host Germany at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Tuesday. Both nations have made an impressive start to their campaigns, and they will be eyeing their second win as they look to strengthen their position at the top of League A Group 3.
Ronald Koeman’s Dutch side had an impressive run at Euro 2024 as they made it to the semi-finals. They have carried on in a similar fashion as they have started their Nations League campaign with a thrilling win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was a dominant display from the Oranje as they put five past their opposition. The home team will be confident about their chances when they meet a strong opposition in Germany. Meanwhile, the visitors had a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign as they got knocked out at the hands of eventual winners Spain in the quarter-finals in a tournament that was held on their home turf.
They have bounced back in some fashion with a 5-0 win over Hungary in their Nations League opener. Julian Nagelsmann’s team will be looking to build on it when they hit the road to face the Netherlands. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Netherlands
Ronald Koeman has taken a few big decisions this month as he has left out a few experienced campaigners. Fortunately, they do not have any fresh injury concerns heading into the second Nations League fixture.
The home team will line up in a 4-3-2-1 formation, where Bart Verbruggen will be in goal. The back four will made up of Denzel Dumfries, Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk, and Nathan Ake. De Ligt and van Dijk will feature in the heart of the defence, while Dumfries and Ake will be the full-backs.
In the centre of the park, Jerdy Schouten will start alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders. The trio will look to control the tempo and ensure the German midfielders do not dominate the ball. Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo will feature as the two creative midfielders in behind Joshua Zirkzee, who is expected lead the line for the Netherlands against German.
Probable Lineup (4-3-2-1): Verbruggen; Dumfries, de Ligt, van Dijk, Ake; Schouten, Gravenberch, Reijnders; Simons, Gakpo; Zirkzee
Germany
It is the start of a new era for German football as quite a few of their experienced campaigners have ended their international career, and Julian Nagelsmann is looking to help them transition into a younger team.
The visitors will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be in goal. The new German skipper Joshua Kimmich will feature as the right-back, while Maximilian Mittelstadt will take charge on the left flank. In the heart of the defence, Nico Schlotterbeck will pair up with Jonathan Tah, with Antonio Rudiger rested for this round of fixtures.
Robert Andrich should start alongside Alexander Pavlovic in the centre of the park. The duo will look to protect the backline and also dictate the pace of the game. Jamal Musiala will feature on the right flank, while Florian Writz will start on the left. Kai Havertz will feature in a number ten role, while Niclas Fullkrug will be leading the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): ter Stegen; Kimmich, Schlotterbeck, Tah, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Pavlovic; Musiala, Havertz, Wirtz; Fullkrug
Key Stats
- Both teams have squared up against each other on 46 occasions, with Germany winning 17 of those outings and the Netherlands securing 12 wins.
- Germany and the the Netherlands have faced each other twice in the Nations League. Both meetings during the inaugural edition back in 2018.
- The Orange have not lost to Germany in the UEFA Nations League.
- Both teams squared up against each other in March in a friendly where Germany won 2-1.
- Germany have a poor away record in the Nations League with one win in eight outings.
Player to Watch
Florian Writz
Writz had an exceptional 2023/24 season, where he scored 18 goals and also bagged 20 assists. He has carried that form into the new season, with two goals and an assist in his two league outings. Having contributed towards two goals in the game against Hungary, the youngster will be eager to add to his tally against the Netherlands.
Prediction
Netherlands 1-1 Germany
Germany might have a better head-to-head record against the Netherlands, but they have struggled on the road in the UEFA Nations League, and they are not going to find it easy against Ronald Koeman. It will be a closely fought affair, where both teams might have to settle for a point. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between the European giants.
