Netherlands vs Germany LIVE: Nations League score and updates as Jurgen Klopp makes return

A perfectly-observed minute’s silence for Ronald Koeman’s late wife, who tragically passed away aged 65 after a battle with cancer.

The teams are out onto the Johan Cruyff Arena pitch, and now we have the anthems.

One Dutch mascot is particularly moved by the German anthem…

Not long until we get underway in Amsterdam – will it be joy for Jurgen Klopp or Xavi on their maiden outings?

Stay tuned for all the action!

Nice moment between former manager and captain as Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk reunite under the lights in Amsterdam!

For Jurgen Klopp and Xavi, there are few greater fixtures to make your managerial bow in than Netherlands vs Germany. It is one of the biggest and most storied international rivalries around.

In 48 outings, Germany (or West Germany) have won 18 and the Netherlands have won 12, with 18 stalemates making up the rest.

The foundation of the rivalry stems from the 1974 World Cup final, which saw West Germany overcome Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands’ ‘Total Football’.

There was then revenge at the 1988 Euros, as Marco van Basten fired in an 88th-minute winner to beat West Germany in the semi-finals. The Netherlands went on to win the tournament, with Van Basten scoring his famous volley in the final.

A fiery encounter played out two years later at the World Cup, with Frank Rijkaard and Rudi Voller squaring off before both being sent off in a West Germany last-16 win.

They haven’t faced off in a major tournament since the Euro 2012 group stage, which saw a Mario Gomez double down the Dutch – but Germany have continued to get the better of their rivals, losing just once in their last five meetings.

On home soil, can the Netherlands turn the tide?

Virgil van Dijk has strongly rejected accusations that he dictated former head coach Ronald Koeman’s tactical setup during the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign, branding the allegations “completely baseless”.

The Liverpool captain and national team skipper called suggestions that he drove tactical changes prior to their last-16 elimination by Morocco “utter nonsense”.

Directing his response to a journalist, Van Dijk said: “One of your colleagues also said, of course, that it was my idea to switch to playing with a back five. That is utter nonsense.”

He added: “The fact is we simply failed at the World Cup; those are the hard facts. We didn’t play a good World Cup. It’s not about me. You perform together; you’re a team. Your claim that I destroyed Dutch football after the World Cup – that sort of thing is completely baseless.

“The plan is devised by the staff. Nonsense is being spread so that I look even worse. That happens far too often.

“I was told that it was my fault we played with five, that Ronald Koeman and I have destroyed Dutch football.

“The plan worked for 89 minutes, even though it was a bad match. We almost broke through. The idea that I destroyed Dutch football makes absolutely no sense. I didn’t decide that.”

Xavi says he ‌feels the Netherlands players had bought into his game ⁠model and philosophy, which he has described as revolving around possession, position, pressing, perception, and ⁠passion.

“You need possession to win the match,” he said.

“You need the right positions. When you lose the ball, you have to press. And you need perception to see what is happening around you and understand the game.

“But without passion, you cannot play football. But he ​was also clear that winning remains the end goal.

“I think there is definitely potential in this squad.”

Jürgen Klopp selected 44 players across two separate Germany squads in an unorthodox move ahead of four Nations League fixtures, while opting to drop the nation’s top scorer from the World Cup.

Klopp’s double squad selection turns upcoming matches against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia into an extended audition for positions prior to the next major tournament, the 2028 European Championship in the UK and Ireland.

Established stars such as Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz are likely to be restricted to a maximum of two matches, as Klopp seeks to introduce fresh faces and manage physical demands on players.

A new cycle for international football begins with the Nations League over the next three weeks as many teams enter a new era under fresh leadership.

But all eyes will not be on the technical area, with a plethora of players having a point to prove in a post-World Cup landscape, whether they played in North America this summer or not.

Here are 10 players to watch during the international break: