Klopp says Germany must beat Netherlands to secure Nations League quarter-final place

Germany must beat the Netherlands on Monday to be certain of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals, coach Jürgen Klopp says, with a draw leaving his side dependent on Greece’s result against Serbia.

Klopp said Germany had achieved its aim of remaining in contention for the match. A defeat would eliminate the four-time world champions; a draw would be enough only if Greece lose to Serbia, who have yet to earn a point in the group.

The Netherlands are all but certain to progress after beating Greece 7-0. They have 11 points, three clear of Germany and Greece, with one match left. Germany’s 3-1 win over Serbia kept them in the qualification race, while the Netherlands’ victory over Greece put them on the brink of the last eight.

Klopp said he had watched the Netherlands’ win and praised the football played under coach Xavi Hernández, while noting that Greece had created chances. He also pointed to Germany’s performance in training and said his team had come close to winning the reverse fixture, which ended 1-1 after Cody Gakpo equalised in stoppage time.

The match is due to be played before 71,000 spectators at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Klopp described the teams’ history as a “healthy rivalry” and recalled West Germany’s victory over the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final.