The Netherlands take on Germany on Friday night in a qualifier for the Euro 2020 football championships.
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The Netherlands take on Germany on Friday night in a qualifier for the Euro 2020 football championships.
Dutch coach Ronald Koeman said the game is not crucial, but Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong will be out to justify the praise heaped on a young Dutch side after they led Ajax to the semi-finals of the Champions League last spring, and captain Virgil van Dijk knows Germany are tough opponents.
"They just have a fantastic team with a lot of quality," van Dijk told a pre-match media conference. "Players who play at the highest level at top clubs. And they also have a good mix of experience and talent."
German coach Joachim Loew will be looking for a repeat of their 3-2 victory in Amsterdam in the reverse fixture, which would see them knock Northern Ireland off the top of the group on goal difference.
But despite the quality of the German side, the Netherlands has had the edge over the past five meetings.