Germany let victory slip through their fingers against hosts the Netherlands on Thursday evening. The home side snatched a last-gasp draw (1-1) in the first round of the UEFA Nations League at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
Jürgen Klopp took charge of Germany for the first official time, while Spanish coach Xavi Hernández made his bow with the Netherlands.
Read also
Vinícius is Brazilian, but is Raphinha too?
By a landslide: Real Madrid fans demand Vinícius be dropped in favour of Diomande
Video technology denied the Netherlands the opening goal in the 13th minute. Virgil van Dijk had headed home from a corner.
Spanish referee Hernández Hernández overturned his decision to award the Liverpool star's goal after consulting the monitor. He ruled that Netherlands forward Brian Brobbey had impeded German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen before Van Dijk struck the ball.
Felix Nmecha put Germany ahead in the 32nd minute, and the Netherlands players erupted in protest.
Brobbey had picked up an injury, and his teammates asked the Germany players to put the ball out so he could be treated. The visitors refused and played on. Nmecha eventually found the ball at his feet after an effort from Adeyemi, and the Borussia Dortmund man slotted it into the Netherlands net.
Furious at the conduct of the Germany players, the home side protested loudly, and altercations broke out between the two sides. The referee stood by his decision.
The Netherlands pressed hard after the break and squandered several chances, undone by an outstanding display from ter Stegen.
Then young Ruben van Bommel pounced on a ball-handling error from substitute Serge Gnabry. He burst forward and delivered a precise cross to Cody Gakpo, who lashed a direct volley into the visitors' net to level the score in the 90+2 minute.
The Netherlands kept pressing after the equaliser and came agonisingly close to a winner before the referee brought the match to an end (1-1).
Both sides sit in Group Two of League A of the UEFA Nations League, alongside Greece and Serbia.
Greece returned from Serbia's den with a precious victory, turning a deficit into a (2-1) win in the final seconds to top the group on 3 points. The Netherlands and Germany trail on one point each, while Serbia prop up the table with none.