Germany against Netherlands

Cocu gets a header, and Kahn saves. Holland, belatedly, have found some life, but they make nothing of the second corner

Fredi Bobic replaces Kevin Kuranyi for Germany - but the Holland free-kick is coming up. Van Hooijdonk hits it against the wall and wins a corner...

The free-kick, though, is much too long - Holland come forward, and van Bronckhorst crosses. That's cleared, but Germany give away a dangerous free-kick

Stam hammers it clear, but Ballack comes forward again and Lahn is brought down midway inside the Dutch half

Germany come forward again - again, there's confusion in the heart of the Dutch defence...

...it's a great ball, and van Nistelrooy hooks it home spectacularly and supebly to level the scores out of the blue. It's 1-1 - and it's more than Holland deserve

The ball is worked to Van der Meyde, who's under pressure but makes room to cross...

But here's a glimmer of a move - Holland go down the right...

Van der Meyde on the ball as the Dutch attempt to build again - but it's ponderous, and van Hooijdonk's header on is straight at Kahn

Another great cameo from Schweinsteiger, whose run is eventuall snuffed out. Torsten Frings, the goalscorer, is off, Fabian Ernst on for the Germans

Hamann starts a move which, via a clever dummy, enables Schweinsteiger to square for Kuranyi, who can't make any sort of connection

Just under 15 minutes to go - can Holland, bolstered by the presence of van Hooijdonk, turn the tide?

And a rare moment of invention on a night when too many flair players have shown none whatsoever

...Kahn makes an excellent save - a rare moment of threat from Holland

Overmars, out of the blue, hits a rasping shot from the edge of the area...

Hamann blasts the free-kick for distance - wide. Pierre van Hooijdonk comes on for Holland, Heitinga is off

Stam, who has lumbered all evening, fouls him and gets a yellow card

Long ball forward from Holland - Van der Vaart tries to get on the end of it but it breaks down and Ballack steams forward...

He gets a shot in, which is blocked and goes behind for a corner. The flag-kick comes to nothing

Nowotny clears as Holland cross when Scweinsteiger stumbles - but seconds later, the German youngster is motoring forward...

Free-kick for Germany - it's all rather bitty. Kuranyi gets a header in as Stam hesitates, but it's wide of the target and the German striker has hurt himself

Bowma gets to it, but can't keep the header down and it's over the top. Schneider comes off for Germany, and youngster Bastian Schweinsteiger is on to a great reception

Friedrich is pressured by van Bronckhorst, and gives away another corner...

The kick whizzes across, but it's just too strong for Bowma on the far post

Maybe more interest here: Van der Meyde gives away a free-kick just outside the area, on the right...

Overmars again - there's a ripple of interest in the Holland contingent when he gets the ball, but this time he's crowded out

Kahn punches, and Germany win possession from his intervention

Overmars has, at least, injected a bit of pace - he wins a corner on the left, but the delivery has been so poor so far that set pieces have meant little to Holland

No - the delivery is too long for van Nistelrooy, and too long for everyone

Friedrich gives away a free-kick on the left-hand side of the German penalty area - can this be Holland's moment?

Van Nistelrooy flicks on - to nobody. Are we really watching the Dutch here?

Kuranyi sums up their confidence, taking on Dutch defenders to fire in a shot, which is blocked

Van der Vaart tries to find van Nistelrooy with a diagonal pass. Again, not good enough. Germany have little or no reason to worry at the moment

Kahn ends a bit of a scramble by punching clear - then van Bronckhorst plays a nothing ball back in. Woeful

Sneijder tries his luck from distance - it's hit well enough, but held by Kahn. Overmars comes straight back at Germany and wins a corner

But the quality of their passing and movement just isn't up to much in this game - not something you expect to say about the Dutch

Holland trying desperately to get some momentum together - they've hardly threatened at all

Schneider crosses, and Kuranyi is very close to getting on the end of it - that all stemmed from Holland losing possession very, very cheaply

Ballack wins possession just outside the area, hitting a shot that dips over the top

Hamann fouls van Nistelrooy just outside the area - the free-kick is taken quickly, but comes to nothing

Real uncertainty in the Dutch defence - van Bronckhorst dithers and Ballack's nearly, but not quite, in with a chance

...Baumann gets a touch on it, but it's not enough to create any kind of threat to Van der Sar's goal

Lahm crosses from the left for Germany - they win a corner...

Holland snap in to their midfield challenges well - there already seems to be a little more shape to what they're doing

The ball's eventually laid back to Van der Meyde, who lashes in a shot from distance, and lashes it wide

Van der Vaart down the right, found by Van der Meyde - he wins a corner...

Ballack then plays a long pass forward, but there's nobody there to get on the end of it

However, the first Dutch ball forward is a loose one - Germany come forward with Frings and Ballack and, although Cocu snaps in with a challenge, they retain possession

Overmars is on for Zenden, and Sneijder comes on for Edgar Davids. Holland had to do something, and Advocaat has taken swift action to try and shake his team up

That's half-time. Holland have a lot to sort out - they're a shambolic imitation of what a Dutch side should be, their key players aren't playing, and they have no shape. 1-0 Germany

Holland cope better with this one: Ballack gets a touch, but it falls into the arms of Van der Sar

Frings down the left - Heitinga fouls him, and loathes the decision. It's a free-kick, from the almost exact spot which brought the goal...

A scramble in the Dutch area ends with Germany clearing and attacking - again the orange-clad defenders back off. The Germans are playing well

Frings makes an enterprising run as Holland obligingly back away. He goes for long-range glory, but instead finds long-range mediocrity

...he takes a couple of steps and hits a fizzing low drive, which is agonisingly wide of the far post. Kahn wouldn't have had a chance

Cocu hoists a long ball - Friedrich heads it away, but the Dutch get possession back and Van der Vaart is in the area...

Now Davids gives away possession. He's one of several important Dutch players who's totally unable to get any kind of grip on proceedings

From the throw, there's a hint of German confusion - but they get away with it, and clear to win a throw of their own

...but wait a moment - Zenden comes forward, only for Hamann to thwart him with a good challenge

Oliver Kahn could never have expected life in the German goal to be as quiet as it has this evening

It's neither pretty nor fluent, but Germany are in control. Pretty comfortably in control, too

Ven der Meyde chases in vain as another crossfield pass goes wrong. Holland are ragged and shapeless - they need to do some serious half-time thinking

More strong defending from the German sees Davids, in a state of mounting frustration, give away a free-kick near halfway

Cocu flips the ball out to Heitinga, who gives it back to Cocu. He looks for Zenden, but it's badly overhit and zips away for a goal-kick. They've yet to force Kahn into any serious work so far

Germany on the ball again, and Stam heads clear well as Kuranyi threatens

They'll get a free-kick for a Zenden foul on Schneider, and Holland seem rattled

What can Holland find in response? Germany, having crowned a decent spell with a goal, are now enjoying a decent amount of possession as well

Davids has possession - and then loses it inside his own half. Ballack finds Baumann, who crosses dangerously, but this time - not without anxiety - it's cleared by Holland

It's a bending kick which sneaks in at the far post without - seemingly - a significant touch from anyone else. Germany ahead on the half hour!

It's a dangerous kick on the left, which will be taken by Torsten Frings...

Cocu launches a heavy challenge on Philip Lahm, coming forward from the back for Germany. he's booked...

It's swung in and again Holland look less than certain at the back. The ball runs across goal, but is eventually cleared

Free-kick for Germany, amid plenty of anger from their bench over a couple of challenges which - to put it mildly - they're not happy with

Ballack plays the ball into the area from the German right, and the dutch are enduring a few awkward moments of late

Great chance for Germany and, had Worns got a little less power in his effort, who knows?

In comes the corner ? Worns gets a header in, but heads it down into the turf and it springs over the crossbar

Germany on the move ? Kuranyi tries a long-ranger for them, and Van der Sar is forced to tip it over the crossbar

At the other end, Holland win a throw near the edge of the penalty area ? Hamann is in there to head it away well

Worns then gets the chance to strike at goal, but Van der Sar makes the save easily enough

Germany win a free-kick from the scramble, which is in a dangerous position ? but it?s blocked by Van der Vaart

The ball hits the corner flag and stays in as Holland attempt to clear...

van Nistelrooy tries a low strike at goal from the edge of the box ? it trundles wide, and the Manchester United striker didn?t really catch that properly

Plenty of pace about the game but, as yet, few clear chances. Perhaps Holland can change that as they build another move forward...

...he, however, spoils the artistry by losing control

Cocu makes some time for himself and gets the ball back to Stam. It goes sideways to Zenden, who plays a great crossfield pass to Van der Meyde...

It's more frenetic than poised at the moment, but what did any of us really expect, mmm?

Zenden covers well as Kuranyi and his third rate boyband-style beard attempts to make headway, ushering the ball back to Van der Saar

Now Nowotny plays a long one forward for Germany - it poses no problems for the Dutch defence

Holland again look to use a long ball - but it's not good enough, and Frings is fouled as they try to win possession back

...quite rightly, the German striker is booked for his troubles. No need to do it, and the yellow card was utterly deserved

A cross comes in towards Kevin Kuranyi, who blatantly handles the ball...

Baumann gets the ball clear, and then van Nistelrooy takes on Worns on the right - and is beaten by the Germany player

Van der Saar is there to punch, and then Frings gives away a free-kick as he attempts to win the ball back

And Germany go to the other end with Torsten Frings on the left - he wins a corner for...

...he's put under pressure, and can only put the ball out of play

Back they come again - Van der Meyde has a chance to cross...

A long, sweeping crossfield pass from left to right for the Dutch doesn't quite work out, creeping out of play

Germany are struggling to get hold of the ball in these early stages - this time, Christian Worns gets in there to stop the Dutch

Holland have the ball again - nice passing in midfield, and Davids looks for van Nistelrooy, who is again quickly closed down by Germany

Heitinga crosses, and van Nistelrooy is crowded out - more bright football from the Dutch

Fairly breatheless start, played out before a wall of noise that Phil Spector might enjoy

Davids now - he finds van Bronckhorst down the left, but his cross sails out of play behind the goal

Then the Dutch get the ball - Cocu plays a wonderful pass to van Nistelrooy, who can't quite bring it under control. Great vision from Cocu

It's a decent start for Germany, and Wilfred Bowma is forced to head clear as a cross comes in from the right flank

Schneider looks to make an early impact down the right, and van Bronckhorst does well to get the ball away

And here they go - Nowotny on the ball, and it's launched forward. Germany keeping possession...

We'll find out in a minute or two - Germany will get us under way in this colossal match

The atmosphere is stunning - the stadium pretty much awash with orange. Will the action on the pitch live up to it?

Hamann blasts the free-kick for distance - wide. Pierre van Hooijdonk comes on for Holland, Heitinga is off

Stam, who has lumbered all evening, fouls him and gets a yellow card

Long ball forward from Holland - Van der Vaart tries to get on the end of it but it breaks down and Ballack steams forward...

He gets a shot in, which is blocked and goes behind for a corner. The flag-kick comes to nothing

Nowotny clears as Holland cross when Scweinsteiger stumbles - but seconds later, the German youngster is motoring forward...

Free-kick for Germany - it's all rather bitty. Kuranyi gets a header in as Stam hesitates, but it's wide of the target and the German striker has hurt himself

Bowma gets to it, but can't keep the header down and it's over the top. Schneider comes off for Germany, and youngster Bastian Schweinsteiger is on to a great reception

Friedrich is pressured by van Bronckhorst, and gives away another corner...

The kick whizzes across, but it's just too strong for Bowma on the far post

Maybe more interest here: Van der Meyde gives away a free-kick just outside the area, on the right...

Overmars again - there's a ripple of interest in the Holland contingent when he gets the ball, but this time he's crowded out

Kahn punches, and Germany win possession from his intervention

Overmars has, at least, injected a bit of pace - he wins a corner on the left, but the delivery has been so poor so far that set pieces have meant little to Holland

No - the delivery is too long for van Nistelrooy, and too long for everyone

Friedrich gives away a free-kick on the left-hand side of the German penalty area - can this be Holland's moment?

Van Nistelrooy flicks on - to nobody. Are we really watching the Dutch here?

Kuranyi sums up their confidence, taking on Dutch defenders to fire in a shot, which is blocked

Van der Vaart tries to find van Nistelrooy with a diagonal pass. Again, not good enough. Germany have little or no reason to worry at the moment

Kahn ends a bit of a scramble by punching clear - then van Bronckhorst plays a nothing ball back in. Woeful

Sneijder tries his luck from distance - it's hit well enough, but held by Kahn. Overmars comes straight back at Germany and wins a corner

But the quality of their passing and movement just isn't up to much in this game - not something you expect to say about the Dutch

Holland trying desperately to get some momentum together - they've hardly threatened at all

Schneider crosses, and Kuranyi is very close to getting on the end of it - that all stemmed from Holland losing possession very, very cheaply

Ballack wins possession just outside the area, hitting a shot that dips over the top

Hamann fouls van Nistelrooy just outside the area - the free-kick is taken quickly, but comes to nothing

Real uncertainty in the Dutch defence - van Bronckhorst dithers and Ballack's nearly, but not quite, in with a chance

...Baumann gets a touch on it, but it's not enough to create any kind of threat to Van der Sar's goal

Lahm crosses from the left for Germany - they win a corner...

Holland snap in to their midfield challenges well - there already seems to be a little more shape to what they're doing

The ball's eventually laid back to Van der Meyde, who lashes in a shot from distance, and lashes it wide

Van der Vaart down the right, found by Van der Meyde - he wins a corner...

Ballack then plays a long pass forward, but there's nobody there to get on the end of it

However, the first Dutch ball forward is a loose one - Germany come forward with Frings and Ballack and, although Cocu snaps in with a challenge, they retain possession

Overmars is on for Zenden, and Sneijder comes on for Edgar Davids. Holland had to do something, and Advocaat has taken swift action to try and shake his team up

That's half-time. Holland have a lot to sort out - they're a shambolic imitation of what a Dutch side should be, their key players aren't playing, and they have no shape. 1-0 Germany

Holland cope better with this one: Ballack gets a touch, but it falls into the arms of Van der Sar

Frings down the left - Heitinga fouls him, and loathes the decision. It's a free-kick, from the almost exact spot which brought the goal...

A scramble in the Dutch area ends with Germany clearing and attacking - again the orange-clad defenders back off. The Germans are playing well

Frings makes an enterprising run as Holland obligingly back away. He goes for long-range glory, but instead finds long-range mediocrity

...he takes a couple of steps and hits a fizzing low drive, which is agonisingly wide of the far post. Kahn wouldn't have had a chance

Cocu hoists a long ball - Friedrich heads it away, but the Dutch get possession back and Van der Vaart is in the area...

Now Davids gives away possession. He's one of several important Dutch players who's totally unable to get any kind of grip on proceedings

From the throw, there's a hint of German confusion - but they get away with it, and clear to win a throw of their own

...but wait a moment - Zenden comes forward, only for Hamann to thwart him with a good challenge

Oliver Kahn could never have expected life in the German goal to be as quiet as it has this evening

It's neither pretty nor fluent, but Germany are in control. Pretty comfortably in control, too

Ven der Meyde chases in vain as another crossfield pass goes wrong. Holland are ragged and shapeless - they need to do some serious half-time thinking

More strong defending from the German sees Davids, in a state of mounting frustration, give away a free-kick near halfway

Cocu flips the ball out to Heitinga, who gives it back to Cocu. He looks for Zenden, but it's badly overhit and zips away for a goal-kick. They've yet to force Kahn into any serious work so far

Germany on the ball again, and Stam heads clear well as Kuranyi threatens

They'll get a free-kick for a Zenden foul on Schneider, and Holland seem rattled

What can Holland find in response? Germany, having crowned a decent spell with a goal, are now enjoying a decent amount of possession as well

Davids has possession - and then loses it inside his own half. Ballack finds Baumann, who crosses dangerously, but this time - not without anxiety - it's cleared by Holland

It's a bending kick which sneaks in at the far post without - seemingly - a significant touch from anyone else. Germany ahead on the half hour!

It's a dangerous kick on the left, which will be taken by Torsten Frings...

Cocu launches a heavy challenge on Philip Lahm, coming forward from the back for Germany. he's booked...

It's swung in and again Holland look less than certain at the back. The ball runs across goal, but is eventually cleared

Free-kick for Germany, amid plenty of anger from their bench over a couple of challenges which - to put it mildly - they're not happy with

Ballack plays the ball into the area from the German right, and the dutch are enduring a few awkward moments of late

Great chance for Germany and, had Worns got a little less power in his effort, who knows?

In comes the corner ? Worns gets a header in, but heads it down into the turf and it springs over the crossbar

Germany on the move ? Kuranyi tries a long-ranger for them, and Van der Sar is forced to tip it over the crossbar

At the other end, Holland win a throw near the edge of the penalty area ? Hamann is in there to head it away well

Worns then gets the chance to strike at goal, but Van der Sar makes the save easily enough

Germany win a free-kick from the scramble, which is in a dangerous position ? but it?s blocked by Van der Vaart

The ball hits the corner flag and stays in as Holland attempt to clear...

van Nistelrooy tries a low strike at goal from the edge of the box ? it trundles wide, and the Manchester United striker didn?t really catch that properly

Plenty of pace about the game but, as yet, few clear chances. Perhaps Holland can change that as they build another move forward...

...he, however, spoils the artistry by losing control

Cocu makes some time for himself and gets the ball back to Stam. It goes sideways to Zenden, who plays a great crossfield pass to Van der Meyde...

It's more frenetic than poised at the moment, but what did any of us really expect, mmm?

Zenden covers well as Kuranyi and his third rate boyband-style beard attempts to make headway, ushering the ball back to Van der Saar

Now Nowotny plays a long one forward for Germany - it poses no problems for the Dutch defence

Holland again look to use a long ball - but it's not good enough, and Frings is fouled as they try to win possession back

...quite rightly, the German striker is booked for his troubles. No need to do it, and the yellow card was utterly deserved

A cross comes in towards Kevin Kuranyi, who blatantly handles the ball...

Baumann gets the ball clear, and then van Nistelrooy takes on Worns on the right - and is beaten by the Germany player

Van der Saar is there to punch, and then Frings gives away a free-kick as he attempts to win the ball back

And Germany go to the other end with Torsten Frings on the left - he wins a corner for...

...he's put under pressure, and can only put the ball out of play

Back they come again - Van der Meyde has a chance to cross...

A long, sweeping crossfield pass from left to right for the Dutch doesn't quite work out, creeping out of play

Germany are struggling to get hold of the ball in these early stages - this time, Christian Worns gets in there to stop the Dutch

Holland have the ball again - nice passing in midfield, and Davids looks for van Nistelrooy, who is again quickly closed down by Germany

Heitinga crosses, and van Nistelrooy is crowded out - more bright football from the Dutch

Fairly breatheless start, played out before a wall of noise that Phil Spector might enjoy

Davids now - he finds van Bronckhorst down the left, but his cross sails out of play behind the goal

Then the Dutch get the ball - Cocu plays a wonderful pass to van Nistelrooy, who can't quite bring it under control. Great vision from Cocu

It's a decent start for Germany, and Wilfred Bowma is forced to head clear as a cross comes in from the right flank

Schneider looks to make an early impact down the right, and van Bronckhorst does well to get the ball away

And here they go - Nowotny on the ball, and it's launched forward. Germany keeping possession...

We'll find out in a minute or two - Germany will get us under way in this colossal match

The atmosphere is stunning - the stadium pretty much awash with orange. Will the action on the pitch live up to it?