CORNERFLICK
Marc-André ter Stegen made a major statement on his Germany return, producing a string of saves against the Netherlands in Amsterdam and keeping his side in the game.
Nine saves and a big VAR moment
The 34-year-old, restored as Germany’s No 1 after a long spell away from international duty, stopped nine Dutch efforts. Those chances were worth about 1.85 xG in total, underlining how much pressure he faced.
One of the key moments came in the first half when Virgil van Dijk headed the Netherlands in front, only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review. According to Goal, the referee judged that Brian Brobbey interfered with ter Stegen’s line of sight and movement.
UEFA had already flagged Ter Stegen’s return and his selection as a starting point as one of the main storylines before kick-off.
A long road back
Ter Stegen had been out of the Germany picture for 15 months. His previous season was interrupted by repeated injuries, and a loan spell at Girona brought only two appearances before a move to Ajax gave him more consistent minutes.
The performance in Amsterdam now gives him a fresh chance to secure the shirt for Germany after years of waiting for the role.