Oct 15,V7N- Germany secured a spot in the Nations League quarter-finals on Monday, thanks to midfielder Jamie Leweling's impressive debut, scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in Group A3. The 23-year-old Leweling had a goal disallowed for offside just two minutes into the match but found the net in the 64th minute, firing into the top corner after the Dutch failed to clear a corner properly.
With this win, Germany sits at the top of the group with 10 points from four matches, ensuring their advancement to the last eight. The Netherlands trails with five points, followed closely by Hungary on goal difference, while Bosnia remains at the bottom with just one point after losing 2-0 to Hungary.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann praised his team's first-half performance, stating, "The first half was exceptionally good. After the break, they switched things around, and we did not defend as well. But we fully deserved the win. We now want to win the remaining matches to maintain consistency in our results."
The Germans dominated the early stages, creating multiple scoring opportunities through Tim Kleindienst and Maximilian Mittelstaedt, while the Dutch struggled to find their rhythm. Germany maintained pressure in the second half, with Serge Gnabry coming close before Leweling scored the winner.
The Netherlands had limited chances throughout the match but nearly equalized when Xavi Simons hit the crossbar in the 77th minute. Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman expressed dissatisfaction with his team's performance, acknowledging that Germany was better in every aspect, creating more chances and maintaining superior physicality.
Another debutant, 34-year-old goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, made a crucial save in the 90th minute, punching away a powerful shot from Doneyll Malen to preserve the lead.
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