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Germany hosted the Netherlands in a Group C Euro 2020 Qualifcation match at the Volskparkstadion in Hamburg with the visitors running out 4-2 winners.
Germany had entered the game on a good run of form, having won each of their opening three qualification fixtures including a 3-2 win away to Netherlands in March. They went ahead early on in the return leg, but failed to hold on to their lead, eventually falling to a 4-2 defeat.
The fixture was highly entertaining, with both sides going all out for the win, and Germany's loss sees them drop into second place behind surprise leaders Northern Ireland, while Netherlands are three points behind in third place, although they have played a match less than the top two.
Germany vs Netherlands is always a keenly anticipated match, given the history of both nations, and the current crop of players are among the best in the world, and in this regard, the fixture did not disappoint.
In this piece, we shall be highlighting five players who impressed for both nations in the fixture.
Honorable mentions - Ryan Babel, Frenkie de Jong
#5 Toni Kroos - Germany
Over the last five seasons, Toni Kroos has arguably been the standout central midfielder in the world, with his ball distribution and passing technique central to the way Real Madrid and Germany play.
However, the 29-year-old has seen a drop in performance over the last year, but despite seeing some of his fellow stalwarts in the national team dropped by Joachim Low, the former Bayern Munich man survived the Axe.
Against Netherlands, Kroos was deployed from the start, and he distinguished himself over the course of the fixture, instigating the passage of play which led to Germany's opener in the ninth minute. He also showed great composure to slot home a penalty in the 73rd minute to level matters for his nation, while Marco Reus should have put Germany 2-0 up after being set up perfectly by the former Bayern Munich midfielder.
His partnership with Joshua Kimmich in the middle of the park was largely ineffective, as Gini Wjnaldum , Frenkie de Jong and Marten de Roon bossed proceedings in midfield, but Kroos largely gave a good account of himself.
#4 Donyell Malen - Netherlands
Donyell Malen started his youth career with Ajax, before arriving PSV after a two-year stint with Arsenal.
Since arriving in Eindhoven, the 20-yaer-old has grown from strength to strength, and has scored 15 goals from 57 matches in all competitions for the Dutch giants.
Having represented Netherlands at all youth levels, Malen saw his good form at club level rewarded when he was called up to the senior team for the first time by Ronaldo Koeman during this international break.
He started the game against Germany on the bench, but had a dream debut for his nation, as he expertly finished a Wjnaldum pass to put Netherlands 3-2 up in the 79th minute.
#3 Serge Gnabry - Germany
Having struggled to cut the grade at Arsenal, Serge Gnabry has enjoyed a new lease of life since swapping England for Germany, and he has become an established member of the Bayern Munich dynasty.
He was deployed on the left flank of attack, alongside Timo Werner and Marco Reus, and put his country ahead just nine minutes into the match when he put the ball into the back of the net amidst a crowded defense.
After that, he did not offer too much in the game again as Netherlands stamped their authority and he missed a gilt-edged chance in injury time to reduce the deficit.
#2 Memphis Depay - Netherlands
The Oranje have been on the ascendancy since Ronald Koeman took the reins, and a lof of their progress has been down to the performance of Memphis Depay.
After impressing in his native Holland with with PSV Eindhoven, Depay completed a big money move to Manchester United. Things quickly went sour at Old Trafford, before a transfer to Lyon helped him rediscover his best form.
His club form has rubbed on his national team performance, and against Germany, Memphis Depay was a constant menace to the Germany backline, with his pace and direct running proving too much for Matthias Ginter
He forced an on goal from Jonathan Tah in the 66th minute, after the Bayer Leverkusen man deflected his goal bound shot into the net, while he also showed great composure to set Wjnaldum up for Netherlands fourth of the night late into injury time.
#1 Gini Wijnaldum
Given the immense quality available in the German midfield, it is not very often that you see the four-time world champions dominated in the middle of the park, but that is exactly what happened against Netherlands.
After 90 minutes, stats revealed that the visitors had controlled 59% of the possession, and at a point during the match, they had 67% possession, and a large reason for this was the tireless display of Gini Wijnaldum over the course of 90 minutes.
The 28-year-old has earned a reputation over the years of being an energetic box-to-box midfielder. Against Germany, he brought his industrious attitude to the fore, hassling Kroos and Kimmich, and barely giving them any breathing space, while also acting as an effective link between the midfield and attack.
The former Newcastle man laid the pass for Malen to put Netherlands 3-2 up, while he was also on hand to make sure of all three points with a well taken goal in the 91st minute in what was a man-of-the-match performance.
