Germany 2 Holland 2: Virgil van Dijk leads fightback as Dutch book place in Nations League semis
Visitors found themselves 2-0 down with five minutes to play before pulling one back through Quincy Promes before Van Dijk netted equaliser
VIRGIL VAN DIJK was Holland’s hero as they staged a stunning comeback to reach the Nations League finals.
The Germans were two up with five minutes to go – but threw it away as goals from Virgil van Dijk and Quincy Promes KO’d France’s hopes of qualifying.
Ronald Koeman’s side will now join the Three Lions, Switzerland and hosts Portugal in June’s finals.
And Gareth Southgate’s defenders will be relieved to avoid deadly French hitmen Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann – with Prem flops Ryan Babel and Memphis Depay now lying in wait.
The Dutch needed just a draw against already-relegated Germany.
But they were behind nine minutes in when Timo Werner fired in a 30-yard stunner.
Nations League guide
TEAMS: Portugal, England, Netherlands, Switzerland.
HOSTS: Portugal
SEMIFINALS: June 5 & 6
FINAL: June 9
STADIUMS: Estádio do Dragão in Porto and Estádio D. Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes
DRAW: December 3
Germany’s great striking hope drew a blank during their humiliating World Cup and hadn’t found the net in five internationals since.
The Leipzig man, 22, broke his duck in style by cushioning a Serge Gnabry flick around the corner and smashing into the bottom corner.
Just as the Dutch scented a leveller thing looked even more bleak when they went two behind.
Leroy Sane grabbed his first Germany goal in the win over Russia on Thursday and made it two in two to leave the Oranje reeling.
The Manchester City star got lucky bringing down a brilliant Toni Kroos pass over the top.
And he was even luckier when his 20-yard strike found its way through Jasper Cillessen’s fingers after a deflection off right-back Kenny Tete.
It was the perfect response to being left out of Germany's World Cup squad.
The Dutch stunned France on Friday with a 2-0 win that ended the World Champions’ 15-game unbeaten run and sent down bitter rivals Germany.
But Babel and Depay were doing little to ruffle Antonio Rudiger and the rest of Germany’s backline.
Werner should have made it three but dragged wide – and was immediately hooked by Joachim Low.
Germany had looked so comfortable Low could even afford to throw on misfiring Thomas Muller for his 100th cap.
Die Mannschaft eased up with sloppy defending allowed Promes to curl in and – out of nowhere – the visitors had hope.
Then Liverpool’s Van Dijk volleyed in a dramatic last-minute leveller to spark Dutch delirium.