Germany opened the first international break of the season under new coach Jürgen Klopp with a 1-1 draw over the Netherlands. Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen had a literal and figurative hand in keeping the draw from turning into a defeat. His heroics for Germany earned him a Man of the Match award.
Immediate result for Klopp
Jürgen Klopp is the newly appointed coach for the German national team. The 58 year-old overhauled the team with a plethora of new selections. Replacing the retired Manuel Neuer in goal was Ter Stegen. Though far from his Barcelona days, Ter Stegen showed some immediate impact for his manager.
Making nine saves in total against the Dutch, Ter Stegen held a clean sheet until the final moments. A mistake by Serge Gnabry that could not be made up for Nathaniel Brown at the back saw Germany concede a late equalizer. It was disappointing to concede after making some fantastic saves. However, Ter Stegen has given a glimpse that he is a practical option who has the experience and skill to be relied upon in the tournaments by Klopp.
Xavi Hernández’s Dutch side was the more creative team on the pitch. With four big chances, 22 shots of which 10 were on goal (Fotmob), the Oranje dominated Die Mannschaft on pure attacking ability. The Dutch’s 3.12 xG vs 1.50 of Germany is a scary stat whose impact was suppressed by Ter Stegen.
Not the perfect solution, but a practical one
Ter Stegen’s genuinely superb performance did have its downsides. The 34 year-old was brilliant in anticipation and reaction saves, but he was not immune to mistakes. Virgil Van Dijk’s disallowed goal was misread by Ter Stegen at the near post. As difficult as it may be, the goalkeeper has to be ahead of the opposition in anticipation of corner kick trajectories.
Another minor goof-up that could have turned fatal was a giveaway to the pressing of Cody Gakpo in the 43rd minute. The Liverpool attacker pounced on the goalkeeper’s mistake and fired a shot that was fortunately saved by the German.
Having pointed out a couple of major issues, the save against Denzel Dumfries needs a special shoutout. Just before the clock hit the hour mark, the Xavi’s men conjured a spicy chance. Mexx Meerdink’s flick to Dumfries went through two Germans; the Dutch fullback held off pressure from his marker and fired at the near post. Ter Stegen had very little time to anticipate the height and direction of the powerful grounded shot. His body angle and split second reaction to get his foot in the way is a neat highlight.
