Kai Havertz (front L) of Germany vies with Nathan Ake of the Netherlands during a friendly match in Frankfurt, Germany, March 26, 2024. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
BERLIN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Germany secured their second consecutive victory by overturning a deficit to win 2-1 against the Netherlands, thanks to goals from Maximilian Mittelstadt and Niclas Fullkrug in Tuesday's encounter.
The Dutch side had a good start in Frankfurt as Memphis Depay benefited on a poor pass from Mittelstadt and lifted the ball into the area, allowing Joey Veerman to volley home the opener into the top left corner with only four minutes played.
Mittelstadt made amends for his misplaced pass as he drilled the ball from 18 meters into the top left corner to restore parity in the 11th minute.
Germany controlled possession but couldn't finish the job in the final third, as Ilkay Gundogan failed to beat goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from a promising position in the 18th minute.
German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was called into action to thwart Donyell Malen shortly afterward. Gundogan then blocked another attempt by Malen around the half-hour mark.
The second half saw Ronald Koeman's squad initially assert themselves, yet they squandered opportunities to take the lead. Tijjani Reijnders missed a close-range shot, and Depay sent a shot wide from the edge of the box.
Germany regained momentum, applying pressure on the Dutch defense. Jamal Musiala tested Verbruggen with two attempts towards the end of the match.
The hosts scored the winner in the final minutes of the match as Fullkrug deflected a Toni Kroos corner past Verbruggen.
"We wanted the win, that was our main goal today. We defended well and staged a great performance overall. However, the game can go both ways after the restart, but we dominated the closing stages. We have a great team spirit now," said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.
The UEFA Euro 2024 hosts round off this international break with wins against France and the Netherlands. ■
David Raum (L) of Germany vies with Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands during a friendly match in Frankfurt, Germany, March 26, 2024. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
Kai Havertz (back) of Germany vies with Virgil Van Dijk of the Netherlands during a friendly match in Frankfurt, Germany, March 26, 2024. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
Players of Germany and the Netherlands head for the ball during a friendly match between Germany and the Netherlands in Frankfurt, Germany, March 26, 2024. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
