Pressing and fighting spirit: Klopp changes the face of Germany in 90 minutes

From World Cup disappointment to Klopp's spirit: Germany begins to recover its shine

Jürgen Klopp took centre stage in Amsterdam on his first outing as head coach of the German national team. Die Mannschaft, facing a Netherlands side led by Xavi, drew 1-1 in the UEFA Nations League.

Foot Mercato reported that Klopp set his team up in a 4-2-3-1, with seven players who had featured at the 2026 World Cup. The defenders Braun, Schlotterbeck and Tah started, along with the midfielders Kimmich, Nmecha and Amiri and the forward Kai Havertz.

At the back, new arrival Trout took the right-back berth. Schade and Karim Adeyemi got the nod on the wings, and Ter Stegen returned in goal.

Klopp's start almost soured when Virgil van Dijk scored after a quarter of an hour, but VAR ultimately came to the Germans' rescue.

Moments later, Havertz went down after a clash with Quinten Timber in the 30th minute and had to be replaced by Younes Bentaleb.

That was a painful blow. Even so, it did not stop Klopp's side from taking the lead. Felix Nmecha struck in the 32nd minute, and the four-time world champions looked set for victory, only for Cody Gakpo to floor them in stoppage time. His 92nd-minute equaliser made it 1-1.

Frustrating stuff, and it let Greece pull clear at the top of the second group in the first tier. Back in Germany, though, the result sparked no real controversy. Quite the opposite.

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Klopp has the ability to make the difference
Jürgen Klopp left the match delighted with his players. "I was very satisfied with many of the individual performances, and with the passion we showed," he said.
He continued: "We can play more beautiful and more exciting football, that is certain. Today was very exhausting. We would have loved to have won here, but taking this point is a good result."
Captain Joshua Kimmich echoed his coach. "It was a strong match, and not everything was perfect, but there are a lot of positives. In the second half, the Netherlands imposed their control and we had to defend fiercely. I think the draw is a deserved result."
Back home, the reaction was warm too. Even Lothar Matthäus, the German legend rarely shy of a jab at the national team, found room for praise. "Klopp instilled a fighting spirit in the team, and the national team was able to respond," he said. "It was a good start. We can be satisfied with the result and with the spirit we showed. But it is clear that there are points still in need of improvement."
That fighting spirit, so absent at the 2026 World Cup, was one of two things the German press seized on.
Sport Bild wrote: "The German national team is fighting far more fiercely than it did during the failure at this summer's World Cup, and more importantly, it has returned to fighting for one another. Klopp embodies this collective spirit and this sense of unity that the group has recovered perfectly."
Welt kept it simple: "Things are finally starting to get back on the right track for the national team."
The paper added: "There is one thing that is certain after the first international match of the 59-year-old coach: Klopp has the ability to make a difference, including leading the German national football team in the right direction."

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Klopp addresses the German national team's biggest weakness
Bild newspaper did not hide its enthusiasm either, writing: "Klopp has already solved the biggest problem that emerged at the World Cup! In the 1-1 draw in Amsterdam, the team showed unprecedented resilience. Just like Klopp in the technical area, the players consistently displayed intense determination, proving in every moment their thirst for victory."
"The team gave everything it had, and immediately threw itself with full force into the classic clash against the Netherlands, which is exactly what Klopp asked for," it noted. "Klopp fixed the national team's biggest weakness at the World Cup in record time. With Adeyemi and Sané, he relied on two traditional wingers, and the entire team adopted the high-pressing style that characterises his sides. Press, press, press."
Sport Bild, though, pointed to one of the few topics that sparked debate on the night: the shaky return of Marc-André ter Stegen in goal for the German national team.
"It was striking that ter Stegen, on his return to the German national team 473 days after his last international match, had a high number of inaccurate passes during the build-up phase," the newspaper wrote. "Before the end of the first half, he completed only 9 passes out of 16."
The Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper did improve after the break, the paper added: "In the second half, the Netherlands pressed for an equaliser, but Klopp's team held firm, and ter Stegen made several impressive saves."