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Match awards for Germany's 1-0 win against the Netherlands

A game full of debuts, dominance and a new star on the horizon for the German national team.

These are the players who stood out.

Jersey swap: Stefan de Vrij

Stefan de Vrij wore the Netherlands captain's armband in the absence of the suspended Virgil van Dijk.

With big shoes to fill, De Vrij certainly didn't disappoint, showcasing his passing skills and defensive discipline by calling Serge Gnabry offside in the second minute – and ultimately denying Jamie Leweling his debut goal for Germany.

De Vrij was a rock at the back and although he didn't keep a clean sheet, without him his team would certainly have conceded more goals.

The Emperor: Maximilian Mittelstädt

Is David Raum likely to be out for the rest of 2024? Maximilian Mittelstädt: “Hold my beer.”

The Stuttgart left-back played his role perfectly. Mittelstädt is the versatile left-back Germany has been looking for for years.

The 27-year-old was unlucky to escape without a goal this evening after club-mate Jamie Leweling made good preparations in the 11th and 83rd minutes. But a shot directly at the Dutch keeper Bart Verbruggen and a final defensive block meant that Mittelstädt unfortunately remained goalless.

Goal or not, Germany finally has a capable left-back.

Football God: Aleksander Pavlović

It was a rather quiet game in the new German midfield trio of Aleksander Pavlović, Angelo Stiller and Florian Wirtz. Nonetheless, it was Pavlović, the midfield gem who grew up in FC Bayern's academy, who stood out from the rest.

The Bayern Academy graduate is developing from strength to strength not only at club level, but also at international level. The 20-year-old's talent is undeniable and Pavlović has proven to be a versatile player, crucial to Germany's dominance in midfield against Liverpool revelation Ryan Gravenberch.

Pavlović is still criminally underrated on the international stage, but don't be surprised if you hear his name more and more often in the discussion of Europe's top talent.

The Bomber: Tim Kleindienst

What a rise Tim Kleindienst had.

After helping a promoted team from Heidenheim to an eighth place finish last season, the 1.90 meter tall striker moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he scored three goals in six Bundesliga games. This was enough to earn Kleindienst his first appearance for the German national team, and he did not disappoint.

Sure he didn't manage to score, but his general play and passing game allowed Germany to flourish in attack. In the absence of Niclas Füllkrug and Kai Havertz, Tim Kleindienst and Deniz Undav seem capable of taking the lead.

Depth at striker? When was the last time you were in the German national team?

Master of the Game: Jamie Leweling

Jamie Leweling was absolutely electrifying.

On his debut for the national team, the 23-year-old was denied a goal in the second minute after Gnabry was offside in the run-up to the goal.

However, Leweling was undeterred and showed off his blistering pace and dribbling skills, giving the Dutch defense plenty of headaches.

After 64 minutes, the Stuttgart player was finally rewarded for his heroics when, on his debut for Germany, he fired a shot from the center of the penalty area into the top right corner, sealing the goal.

The list of young talent in Germany seems to be growing by the day, and if you haven't already, you should definitely add one Jamie Leweling to that list.

By Vanessa

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