Gakpo rescues Netherlands with late equaliser against Germany in Nations League clash

late goal earns Netherlands a point

In a tightly contested UEFA Nations League Group Stage match on Thursday, 24 September 2026, the Netherlands national association football team secured a 1-1 draw against the Germany men's national association football team at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam. The game was decided by a late goal from Cody Gakpo deep into stoppage time, cancelling out an earlier strike from Felix Nmecha.

goals and key moments

Germany took the lead in the 32nd minute through Felix Nmecha, who put the visitors ahead 1-0. The first half ended with the Germans holding their slender advantage. However, the Netherlands pressed on and were rewarded in the second half when Cody Gakpo found the net in the 90+2nd minute, securing a dramatic 1-1 equaliser and rescuing a point for the home side.

discipline and substitutions

The encounter saw a total of five yellow cards issued, with the Netherlands receiving four bookings and Germany one. For the Dutch, Quinten Timber was booked in the 22nd minute, followed shortly by Jan Paul van Hecke in the 24th. Later in the match, Denzel Dumfries and Virgil van Dijk were cautioned in quick succession at the 68th and 69th minutes respectively. Germany's Nadiem Amiri also picked up a yellow card in the 68th minute. There were no red cards shown. Both teams made several substitutions, with the Netherlands using four changes and Germany making five.

match statistics highlight home dominance

The Netherlands dominated possession with 53.6% compared to Germany’s 46.4%. They also outshot their opponents by more than double, registering 22 shots to Germany’s 10, with 10 on target versus just 2 for the visitors. The Dutch side was particularly effective from set-pieces, earning 12 corners compared to Germany’s single corner. Despite the home side’s attacking dominance, Germany’s goalkeeper made nine saves, while the Dutch keeper was called into action only once. Germany committed more fouls, 16 to the Netherlands’ 11. Offside calls were relatively low, with three against the Netherlands and one against Germany.

impact on group standings and next steps

After this encounter, the Netherlands sit third in the group with one point from their opening fixture, having scored and conceded one goal. Germany are positioned second, also with one point and an identical goal difference. Both teams will look to build on this point as the group stage progresses, aiming to secure wins that could elevate their standings in the UEFA Nations League competition.

Goals and key moments

Match statistics

Impact on the table