The 23-year-old was a surprise presence in the starting XI having only been called up due to an injury to Jamal Musiala. He then got the nod after Deniz Undav was also ruled out with an injury. Nevertheless, it took just two minutes for Leweling to make an impact as he smashed into Netherlands’ net, but it was disallowed following a lengthy VAR review.
Germany’s early dominance diminished as the first half wore on, but the Dutch were barely able to get the ball beyond the halfway line and managed to stay level thanks to some desperate defending and Verbruggen.
The visitors held onto the ball for almost three full minutes in a hopeful start to the second half but they were toothless against Germany’s defence and didn’t manage a shot until Denzel Dumfries’ wayward header in the 56th minute.
Unsurprisingly, it was Germany who broke the deadlock when a failed clearance rolled in Leweling’s path and he lashed into the top corner.
Netherlands finally showed some spark in the last 15 minutes when Xavi Simons found space outside the box and unleashed a shot that struck the bar. In the 90th minute, Donyell Malen’s shot from outside the box forced an excellent save from Oliver Baumann, making his debut at 34 years of age, as the hosts held out for the win.
AFP
