Jürgen Klopp was denied a win in his first game in charge of Germany as his former Liverpool player Cody Gakpo secured a 1-1 draw for the Netherlands in stoppage time.
The game was also the first for new Dutch coach Xavi Hernandez, the former Barcelona star midfielder and manager of the LaLiga side.
Felix Nmecha had put Germany ahead with what looked set to be the only goal of an intense Nations League match at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
But Gakpo scored a spectacular volley at the death to earn the Dutch a deserved point from a controversial and hard-fought game.
The German goal was scored with some of the Dutch team having stopped playing as Brian Brobbey had gone down injured, while it came after home captain Virgil van Dijk had seen one harshly disallowed.
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There were more scuffles in the second half, especially after a bad challenge by Germany’s Nadiem Amiri on Denzel Dumfries, who was able to continue. Dumfries later clashed with Germany captain Joshua Kimmich.
Klopp was returning to the dugout for the first time since his Liverpool exit in 2024 in a bid to restore German fortunes after their disastrous last-32 World Cup exit to Paraguay in the summer.
The 59-year-old, who named a 44-man squad, was thrown an immediate curve ball when Jamal Musiala injured his thigh in the warmup, with Amiri called in to replace the Bayern Munich star.
The Dutch had the ball in the net when Van Dijk, Klopp’s Premier League-winning captain at Liverpool, glanced in a header from a Tijjani Reijnders corner.
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But the goal was ruled out following a VAR check which adjudged that Brobbey, who appeared to be doing little wrong, had impeded Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
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Quinten Timber was lucky to escape with only a yellow card after planting his studs into the knee of Germany’s Kai Havertz.
Havertz was forced off shortly after with a hamstring problem in the other leg, a potential blow for his club Arsenal.
But Germany took a 33rd-minute lead as the Dutch were complaining about an injury to Brobbey.
Karim Adeyemi kept playing and his low cross was finished by Nmecha from close range for the first goal of the Klopp era.
Sunderland striker Brobbey, who scored a hat trick against Manchester City at the weekend, went off with what appeared to be a bad hamstring injury before Adeyemi missed a glorious chance to double the lead, firing over with the goal gaping.
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Germany had a huge let-off when Mexx Meerdink somehow missed a wide open goal as he stretched for a cross.
The match was briefly held up in the closing stages when a young fan ran on to the pitch and took a selfie with Reijnders.
And the Netherlands snatched a draw when Ruben van Bommel’s stellar cross from the left flank was rifled into the net by Gakpo.
Information from PA and The Associated Press was used in this recap.
