International Friendly: Is Frankfurt Friendly in Name Only?

Germany vs Netherlands

An International Friendly is how this is billed.

Well, I could be overegging it a little, but given this is one of international football’s longstanding rivalries, I’m not sure if these two really do friendlies.

Perhaps they are keeping their powder dry for this summer’s Euro 2024, and they have also been paired together in the Nations League this autumn.

But two European giants with a list of classic matches between them should, at least, guarantee International Friendly 2024 highlights in Frankfurt on Tuesday night.

Talking Points

For Germany, this is another chance to prove their worth before they host this summer’s tournament.

After Saturday’s 2-0 win over France, manager Julian Nagelsmann may choose to utilise his squad.

It was certainly an eye-catching win in Lyon, as Florian Wirtz scored after seven seconds for Germany to end a three-game winless run.

The 20-year-old collected a pass from Toni Kroos, just returned to the international fold, virtually straight from kick-off, and found the top left corner with a deflected effort.

You won’t be surprised to know the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder’s goal is the fastest ever scored by a Germany player.

It was the youngster’s first goal for his country and would have been the fastest international goal on record ever had Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner not opened the scoring after six seconds in his country’s friendly against Slovakia earlier on Saturday.

Four minutes into the second half, Kai Havertz turned in Jamal Musiala’s cutback to confirm victory.

Of course, whatever happens in friendlies, whatever criticism or praise, the main scrutiny is yet to come for a nation that bowed out of the World Cup for the second time in a row at the group stage in Qatar just 16 months ago, with a last-16 exit at the most recent European Championships thrown into the mix.

Netherlands fared much better in the Middle East; indeed, they pushed eventual winners Argentina all the way. They were involved in action themselves a few days ago, thrashing Scotland 4-0 in a friendly in Amsterdam.

Three goals in the final 18 minutes put a rather one-sided slant on the scoreline, but it will have done no harm to the confidence of Oranje.

Netherlands hope to pull another dominating form when they face Germany for another international friendly — Barcelona manager (now Netherlands) Ronaldo Koeman looks focused ahead of their La Liga match in 2020

On the flip side,the fact that home goalkeeper Mark Flekken was named man of the match would not have gone unnoticed by manager Koeman, who admitted Scotland had been the better side.

After Tijiani Reijnders’ superb first-half strike, the Scots lost three cheap goals, with Georginio Wijnaldum, Wout Weghorst, and Donyell Malen on target for a Dutch side short of their best.

Koeman and his players will know that Germany are unlikely to be as wasteful or generous as the Scots on Tuesday night.

History

Two tempestuous clashes within as many years set the tone for a modern-day rivalry that has never quite gone away.

At Euro 1988, when the Dutch came from behind to beat the hosts in the semi-final, the Germans were hit so hard they didn’t leave the dressing room for half an hour after the final whistle.

Most of the German players didn’t even shake hands with the opposition, and a scorer in that game, Koeman (now in his second spell as Dutch manager), revealed after the match that he had wiped his backside on the German shirt he had swapped with his opponent at full-time.

When they met two years later, the bickering Dutch deservedly lost, and Frank Rijkaard spat at Rudi Voller.

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They last met in a major tournament in Euro 2012, when a Mario Gomez double fired the Germans to a 2-1 victory, despite a late Robin van Persie reply.

Germany have the edge in most competitive encounters, with the exceptions being the 1988 and 1992 European Championships, when, under the late great Rinus Michels, a Marco van Basten inspired Dutch national side claimed two major victories.

Overall, the two countries have met on 45 occasions, with the Dutch winning 12; the Germans enjoying success in 16 of the clashes; and the other 17 ending up as draws.

However, when it matters most, the Germans have usually had the edge, most notably in the 1974 World Cup Final.

Their last meeting came two years ago in a friendly in Amsterdam, which ended 1-1 as Steven Bergwijn cancelled out Thomas Muller’s opener.