Germany 1 Holland 1, November 18th 1998

Germany were lucky to escape with anything from this one-sided game.

Many critics felt that the Dutch would struggle with an injured midfield and so many youngsters playing against a German side picked for its experience in Gelsenkirchen.

Lothar Matthaeus earned his 130th cap for Germany in this game but was forced to watch a display of Dutch power and passign that was unrecognisable from the laboured stumbling moves being produced by his own side.

The decline in German football is nearing completion with displays like this but Holland are close to establishing a new order os supremacy in Europe if this game is anything to go by. They passed Germany in to the ground at times and only grim determination and memories of past glory kept the German side from collapsing in the face of future football - football from the future. The summer of the year 2000 to be precise.

Germany were so weak that they were able to contribute to their own misery with a gross error from goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. He kicked the ball out to Michael Reiziger in the 22nd minute and watched as it was hammered back past him to give the Dutch a deserved lead from which they swept into complete control of the game. Jap Staam almost headed a second ten minutes later but Jens Jeremies cleared his header off the line.

Substitute Olaf Marschall - on for injured Ulf Kirsten from the 21st minute oked in a cross for a 52nd minute equaliser and Kahn made amends for his error when he defied new cap Ruud van Nistelrooj with a point blank save in the last minute but the Dutch were the masters of this largely peaceful encounter between these bitter rivals that saw soe 17 arrested in disturbances after the game.