Xavi satisfied as Gakpo earns Oranje late draw against Germany

New Dutch national football coach Xavi Hernandez declared himself satisfied with his team’s performance following the 1-1 draw with Germany in Amsterdam.

Cody Gakpo converted a magnificent skewered pass by debutant Ruben van Bommel with a crashing volley in stoppage time to earn Oranje the point their second-half dominance deserved.

“We were a little nervous in the first half, but the second half is the way we want to play,” the Spaniard said after the opening game in the Nations League, his first match since being appointed last month.

Germany took the lead in the 32nd minute when Felix Nmecha pounced on a loose ball in the penalty, but the Dutch were aggrieved that their opponents had played on after Brian Brobbey went down injured in the centre circle.

Captain Virgil van Dijk said: “We thought the ball should have gone out, but it didn’t go out, and it was unfortunate that it fell right in front of them after a good block by Jan Paul van Hecke.”

Van Dijk had the ball in the net after 15 minutes, but his header was disallowed after the referee decided Brobbey had impeded goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

New striker needed

Brobbey was replaced by AZ striker Mexx Meerdink, who missed a glorious chance to equalise on his debut after Crysencio Summerville made space in the penalty area with a smart turn.

Xavi said afterwards he would look at calling up a replacement striker ahead of Sunday’s match against Serbia in Belgrade, but did not comment on who it might be. Wout Weghorst could be recalled after being left out of the squad initially, while other contenders include Zian Flemming of Ipswich and FC Köln’s Thijs Dallinga.

Van Bommel, who became the third generation of his family to play for Oranje after and his father, Mark, his grandfather, Bert van Marwijk, came on in the second half and capped his debut with the assist that set up Gakpo’s goal.

“I ran forward and I saw Cody free at the far post, and I thought, I have to get it to him somehow. It wasn’t an easy finish, but the pass wasn’t bad either,” the PSV winger said.

Another second-half substitute was Borussia Dortmund midfielder Joey Veerman, who made his first appearance in an orange shirt for two years after being frozen out of the international set-up by Xavi’s predecessor Ronald Koeman. Veerman came on for Marseille’s Quinten Timber, who was selected to take the place of the injured Frenkie de Jong.