A look ahead to Netherlands vs Germany as both Xavi and Klopp make their dugout debuts

Any number of reasons give the match an edge, not least the fact that the two countries are near neighbours.

Xavi vs Klopp

On this occasion, Xavi Hernandez will take the reins for the Dutch in his first encounter, and will attempt to outsmart one of the brightest tactical brains of his generation, Jurgen Klopp, who is also taking charge of Germany for the first time.

Though Xavi's understanding of the way the game should be played will be completely in simpatico with the expression of football that the Dutch have employed since the days of Rinus Michels' first reign in the mid-1970s, there are question marks over his ability to adopt tactical nuances within games.

During his time as coach of Barcelona, a team with whom he enjoyed incredible success as a player, he was often found wanting against more experienced coaches, and Klopp obviously falls into that bracket.

Perhaps what levels the playing field ever so slightly is the knowledge of how different international football is from club management, and with both not having too long to work with their respective squads, this debut for the pair might not transpire as everyone expects.

44 players called up by Germany

Both squads are packed full of elite-level players, though Klopp's decision to call up 44 players, including a number of uncapped stars, certainly got people talking. 

 "I want to get to know as many players as possible," he told a packed press conference by way of explanation. "There is no A or B team. The squads are put together in a way that makes sense on the pitch and in terms of character and experience. 

"There are few names here that will surprise, but we wanted it to be a part of their development. We didn't look at what we were missing but rather what we have and realised how much football talent we have."

Xavi has also made his mark, dropping record Netherlands goalscorer Memphis Depay from the squad entirely, though Brian Brobbey, fresh from a hat-trick against Man City, should more than fill that breach.

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Tottenham pair need confident showing

Though Justin Kluivert and Donyell Malen have both withdrawn from the squad through injury, there is more than enough talent to compensate for their omissions.

Much of the focus is likely to be on Tottenham pair, Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven, given the Lilywhites' awful start to the 2026/27 Premier League season, with the likes of in-form Kai Havertz and Kevin Schade undoubtedly looking to profit from the Germans.

Karim Adeyemi, who has enjoyed a sparkling start to his Barcelona career, could also prove problematic for the Dutch back line.

Die Mannschaft might find it difficult to break down a side that hasn't lost a match on home soil since 2023. They've gone on to win 11 and draw four of the 15 subsequent matches played in the Netherlands.

Netherlands have done well in previous Nations League tournaments

The Nations League is a competition that the Dutch have enjoyed, too, having made the semi-finals on two of the four occasions that it's been played to date, and also a quarter-final.

Of the 24 matches they've played in the competition to date, the Netherlands have won 12, drawn nine and lost only three. Furthermore, in their last 20 matches in all competitions, only once have they lost in 90 minutes (W11, D8).

It's Germany who have the better head-to-head record, however, having won 18 and lost 12 (with 18 more being drawn) of the fixtures to date.

Four of those have been in the Nations League, with the last two being drawn (2-2 and 1-1), and with only one loss in the last seven meetings (W3, D3), it's clear that Germany have got the better of their near neighbours of late.

The last time that Germany played at the Johan Cruijff ArenA was in September 2024, and on that occasion, Tijjani Reijnders put the hosts ahead in the second minute, before Deniz Undav and Joshua Kimmich scored either side of half-time. Denzel Dumfries scored later to earn the Dutch a 2-2 draw. 

Klopp will also be keen to lean into their form against European opponents more generally, given Die Mannschaft have lost just once in their last nine away games against continental opposition, winning six and drawing the other two.

Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high-profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.