GERMANY 1-1 HOLLAND Match report Match photos

Holland goalscorer Ruud van Nistelrooy insisted his team fully deserved their 1-1 draw with Germany in their opening Group D game.

"We tried to control the game and had a lot of possession, although not many chances. I think we completely deserved it," he told BBC Sport.

"You know when you play Germany it's going to be tough. It's going to be like this, but we kept fighting.

"We finished this game on a high. Defeat would have been disastrous."

Coach Dick Advocaat said both teams did not play very well so a draw was a fair result.

We were the better side - we can call ourselves a little bit unlucky Dietmar Hamann Germany reaction

"The (German) goal was not a mistake by the keeper but the whole defence," he said.

"With our goal, Van Nistelrooy demonstrated that he could score out of nothing.

"In the first 20 minutes we played too much safety-first. During half-time I told tham to play sharper, more up front and seize their opportunities.

"We have to analyse carefully how we are going to proceed."