Netherlands 1-1 Germany: Gakpo rescues a point for the Dutch
Reviewed by Elison · Thu 24 Sep 2026UEFA Nations League · League A
NetherlandsFULL-TIME
GermanyThursday 24 September 2026 · 20:45
Our score 1-1★ Exact scoreHot tip Full-time draw✓ Won
A late Cody Gakpo goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Netherlands against Germany in a tense UEFA Nations League encounter. Felix Nmecha’s first-half strike had given the visitors a lead they looked capable of holding until deep into stoppage time, when Gakpo struck to deny Germany all three points and ensure the spoils were shared.
How the game unfolded
Virgil van Dijk thought he had put the Netherlands ahead on 14 minutes, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review. The Dutch were then shown two yellow cards in quick succession: Quinten Timber was booked on 22 minutes and Jan Paul van Hecke two minutes later. Germany took advantage of the momentum shift — Felix Nmecha broke the deadlock on 32 minutes, finishing with an assist from Karim Adeyemi to give Germany a 1-0 lead.
Nadiem Amiri was booked on 68 minutes, followed by Virgil van Dijk on 69 minutes. Both sides made changes as the second half wore on, with Germany protecting their lead and the Netherlands pressing for an equaliser.
The leveller arrived in the 90th minute. R. van Bommel, who had come on as a substitute moments earlier, provided the assist for Cody Gakpo to sweep the ball home and make it 1-1, leaving the scores level at the final whistle.
The numbers
The statistics underline Netherlands’ dominance in possession and attacking output. The Dutch controlled 54 per cent of the ball to Germany’s 46, and completed 348 of their 409 passes. In front of goal, the Netherlands were relentless, registering 22 shots in total — 16 of them from inside the box — with 10 on target. Germany, by comparison, managed just 10 shots, only two of which tested the goalkeeper. That discrepancy made the German goalkeeper’s evening all the more impressive: he was called upon to make nine saves to keep his side ahead for as long as he did. The Netherlands’ goalkeeper, meanwhile, was required to make just a single stop.
The Netherlands earned 12 corner kicks to Germany’s one, while the Dutch also committed fewer fouls — 11 to Germany’s 16. Netherlands picked up three yellow cards in this match, Germany just one, reflecting the physical edge of a game that became increasingly competitive as the clock ticked down. Neither side finished with ten men.
Conclusion
On the balance of play, a draw was a fair result, even if Germany will feel they were moments away from a famous away victory. For the Netherlands, Gakpo’s late intervention ensures they salvage something from a night in which the statistics demanded more. The point keeps both nations’ Nations League campaigns alive, with the contest between them far from settled.
