Gakpo's late equaliser denies Klopp victory on Germany debut

Cody Gakpo scored in stoppage time to earn the Netherlands a draw against Germany at the Johan Cruyff Arena, denying Jürgen Klopp a winning start as national-team coach. The Nations League match also marked Xavi's first game in charge of the Dutch side, with both new managers finishing their debuts without a victory.

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According to Nick Ames's match report for the Guardian, Gakpo volleyed in a cross from substitute Ruben van Bommel two minutes into added time. The chance followed a misplaced pass by Germany substitute Serge Gnabry that gave Van Bommel possession. Germany had led through Felix Nmecha but could not protect their advantage through the closing minutes.

Nmecha's opener came after debutant right-back Philipp Treu crossed and Karim Adeyemi attempted a shot from close range. Nmecha converted the rebound, prompting protests from the Netherlands because Brian Brobbey had been down near halfway needing treatment when Joshua Kimmich continued play. Earlier, a Virgil van Dijk header had been disallowed for a Brobbey foul on goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

Germany had an opportunity to extend their lead when Adeyemi shot over from Nathaniel Brown's pass. The Netherlands subsequently created several chances, with Ter Stegen making repeated saves. Max Meerdink, who replaced Brobbey, failed to convert a close-range opportunity from Denzel Dumfries's delivery before Gakpo eventually supplied the equaliser. Xavi praised his players' ambition and desire in the second half.

Germany's evening also brought fitness concerns over Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz. Musiala felt a problem in his thigh during the warm-up and was replaced in the starting lineup by Nadiem Amiri. Havertz went off around the half-hour mark with a similar issue. The Guardian reported that both players were due to undergo MRI scans before returning home; Klopp expected them at least to miss Sunday's match against Greece.

Klopp said the timing of the equaliser made the result feel like two points lost, although he accepted the overall performance. He had selected a 44-player squad to divide across Germany's four-game Nations League programme. After this opening match, he stressed that establishing a playing style would require more than the two days of preparation his squad had received.