The Netherlands hosted Germany at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam this Thursday evening, where captain Virgil van Dijk had a goal disallowed. It marked the opening match of Spanish coach Xavi Hernandez's era with the Dutch, in the first round of the UEFA Nations League.
Van Dijk headed home in the 13th minute from a corner.
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Spanish referee Hernandez Hernandez went to the monitor and chalked off the Liverpool star's effort. He ruled that Netherlands forward Brian Brobbey had obstructed German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen before Van Dijk struck the ball.
For Germany, the fixture carried its own weight. This was their first official match under Jurgen Klopp, following a shock exit from the 2026 World Cup in the round of 32, beaten on penalties by Paraguay.
Xavi's Netherlands are chasing a fresh start of their own after crashing out of the 2026 World Cup at the same stage, losing on penalties to Morocco.
Both sides sit in the second group of the UEFA Nations League's top tier, alongside Serbia and Greece.