A spectacular 63rd-minute strike from debutant Jamie Leweling earned Germany a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in Munich on Monday, propelling the team into the Nations League quarterfinals for the first time.
The Stuttgart forward was called up unexpectedly after his club teammate Deniz Undav was injured during the warm-up. Despite an early disallowed goal for offside, Leweling capitalised on a loose ball from a Joshua Kimmich corner, delivering a powerful shot to secure the win.
Speaking to Germany’s ZDF, Leweling expressed his delight: “We won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I’m just happy I could help out. The Dutch are a top nation, but we played a good game nevertheless. We used the chances that we had well.”
German captain Joshua Kimmich praised his team for overcoming injuries: “There were just three players on the field in comparison to five weeks ago against Holland (a 2-2 draw in the Netherlands), that’s why we are proud of what we did. You could see how happy we are, how proud we are of the performance today.
He continued, “We had lots of new players, some young players, unfortunately lots of injuries but you didn’t notice much of a difference. Jamie had an outstanding debut — it’s not often the Allianz Arena gives you a reception like that — he did well.”
Meanwhile, Dutch captain Stefan de Vrij admitted his team underperformed: “We’re confident about our Nations League chances. Next month will be crucial, especially the first game against Hungary, but we will stay positive and try and win those games.”
Germany’s goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, at 34 the oldest debutant in the nation’s history, made a crucial last-minute save against Donyell Malen, preserving the team’s victory. The Netherlands, missing suspended captain Virgil van Dijk, struggled until the final moments, finishing second in the group, level with Hungary but ahead on goal difference after Hungary’s 2-0 win over Bosnia.
Before the match, Germany honoured international veterans Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, Ilkay Gündogan, and Toni Kroos, who retired following the home Euros in the summer.
Marking his one-year anniversary as coach, Julian Nagelsmann has prioritised in-form players over big names. Injuries to key players like Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, and Marc-André ter Stegen led to seven changes, including the late replacement of Undav.
Nagelsmann handed debuts to Leweling and goalkeeper Baumann, while Aleksandar Pavlovic and Angelo Stiller made their first starts. Leweling thought he had scored early on, but the goal was disallowed after a video review for an offside by Serge Gnabry in the build-up.
Despite dominating possession and forcing the Dutch into errors, Germany struggled to create clear opportunities in the first half. The Netherlands posed little threat, failing to register a shot on target before the break.
Leweling’s stunning goal ignited the match in the second half, while late efforts from Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen suggested a possible Dutch comeback, but they couldn’t find the equaliser.