Netherlands vs Germany – News and Probable Lineups

Xavi and Jurgen Klopp will both make their debuts as international head coaches on Thursday when the Netherlands face Germany in what promises to be an exciting UEFA Nations League opener in Amsterdam.

The two European giants will compete in League A Group 2 alongside Serbia and Greece, with both teams needing to finish in the top two to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

Match overview

For the first time since 1978, the Netherlands have chosen Xavi as their first foreign head coach, with the 46-year-old Barcelona legend signing a four-year contract that will carry him through to the next European Championship and World Cup.

A legendary midfielder in his playing career who clinched a La Liga title in his final managerial position with Barca in 2023, Xavi has referred to himself as “partly a son of Dutch football” given the significant impact of Johan Cruyff and the knowledge he gained under coaches such as Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard.

Xavi aims to cultivate a Netherlands squad without “egos” while implementing an attacking style of play based on possession, moving away from the rigid and overly pragmatic tactics used by his predecessor Ronald Koeman, who stepped down following the Oranje’s exit from the last-32 at the 2026 World Cup.

The Netherlands lost to Morocco in that match at the end of June, although they remained unbeaten in their four World Cup fixtures during regular time (W2 D2). In fact, they have not suffered a defeat in a competitive match in normal time since they lost 1-0 to Germany in the Nations League in October 2024.

The Oranje are two-time semi-finalists in the Nations League and reached the quarter-finals in the 2024-25 season; they drew 2-2 with Germany in Amsterdam during the group stage and finished second behind Die Mannschaft.

Two years after concluding his iconic tenure at Liverpool due to “running out of energy,” Jurgen Klopp is embarking on the “pinnacle” of his coaching career as he steps into international management for the first time to lead a new chapter for his cherished Germany.

Klopp, who had a brief six-month stint as the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, was the “unequivocal choice” to succeed Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned after Germany suffered a surprising penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the last-32 of the World Cup this summer.

Regarded as the messianic savior of a struggling national team, Klopp’s mission is to bring back Germany’s renowned winning mentality while implementing a heavy-metal approach that could steer the four-time world champions towards major accolades and help them improve from their current position of 12th in the FIFA rankings.

After failing to secure victories in their last two World Cup encounters, including a 2-1 loss to Ecuador, Germany risks going three consecutive matches without a win for the first time since a four-match winless streak that ended in September of the previous year.

Nevertheless, Die Mannschaft has not lost any of their last four meetings with the Netherlands (W2 D2), and they can take confidence from having lost only once in their last nine away matches against European teams (W6 D2) in all competitions leading up to Thursday’s fixture at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Team News

The Netherlands will be without Donyell Malen and Justin Kluivert, who have both withdrawn from the squad due to injuries, joining Mats Wieffer, Matthijs de Ligt, and Xavi Simons on the injury list.

Midfielders Frenkie de Jong, Martin de Roon, and Jerdy Schouten will also miss this international period, while experienced forwards Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst have not been included in Xavi’s inaugural squad.

However, captain Virgil van Dijk has pledged his commitment to the Oranje, and the Liverpool defender may lineup in a four-man defence alongside Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Micky van de Ven.

Teun Koopmeiners and Tijjani Reijnders may be chosen for midfield alongside Ryan Gravenberch, while Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey – who scored a hat-trick against Manchester City last weekend – is expected to lead the attack flanked by Crycensio Summerville and Cody Gakpo.

As for Germany, Klopp has named 44 players across two squads for their four Nations League matches, with 24 of those available for the clash with the Netherlands.

Florian Wirtz, Karim Adeyemi, Nick Woltemade, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Said El Mala are among those excluded from Thursday’s match after being assigned to the second group, while Leon Goretzka and Deniz Undav are ruled out due to injuries.

With skipper Joshua Kimmich likely to shift back into midfield under Klopp, Josha Vagnoman and uncapped Philipp Treu will vie for a starting role at right-back, while Jonathan Tah, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Nathaniel Brown are anticipated to form the back four.

Following five goals in five games for Eintracht Frankfurt, Younes Ebnoutalib is eager to earn his full international debut, but Arsenal’s Kai Havertz is more probable to be the central attacker, with Lennart Karl, Jamal Musiala, and Kevin Schade potentially providing support in the forward line.

Netherlands probable starting XI:

Bridge; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Koopmeiners, Gravenberch, Reijnders; Summerville, Brobbey, Gakpo

Germany probable starting XI:

Ter Stegen; Treu, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Kimmich, Nmecha; Karl, Musiala, pity; Havertz

Thursday’s match is set to be a highly fascinating and unpredictable encounter between two strong nations stepping into new eras, eager to begin with a positive outcome under new management.

While the Netherlands boast an exceptional home record with only one defeat in Amsterdam since October 2023 (W11 D4), Germany has scored in each of their last 13 internationals, leading to a likely expectation of a draw in what should be an entertaining match.