Van Dijk goal against Germany rightly ruled out after all: this is the real reason

Virgil van Dijk thought he had put the Netherlands ahead against Germany on Thursday evening, only for the goal to be ruled out for a different reason than first assumed. According to German outlet Kicker, it was not disallowed because of a foul by Brian Brobbey on Marc ter Stegen, but for another reason.

The Netherlands believed they had the opener at the Johan Cruyff ArenA after just over ten minutes. Van Dijk flicked on a Cody Gakpo corner with his head at the near post, and the ball dropped into the far corner beyond the reach of Ter Stegen.

Referee Alejandro Hernández Hernández initially gave the goal, but VAR then sent him to the monitor to review the incident. After checking the footage on the touchline, the Spaniard changed his mind and disallowed it.

Early assumptions centred on Brobbey, with suggestions that he had blocked Ter Stegen as the goalkeeper tried to reach the ball. Kicker, however, report that information from the German Football Association, the DFB, points to a different reason behind Hernández Hernández's decision.

Brobbey was said to have been offside when Van Dijk made contact with the ball with his head. The referee also judged that the Sunderland striker was actively involved in play at that moment, so the Netherlands captain's goal could not stand.

Brobbey's night then took another blow when he went off injured after about half an hour. Not long after that, Germany went in front through Felix Nmecha, who beat goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from close range.

That goal sparked more frustration for the Netherlands because Germany played on while Brobbey was down injured in the centre circle. For a long spell, Nmecha's 1-0 looked set to be enough to give Die Mannschaft victory in Amsterdam.

Stoppage time brought the response. Debutant Ruben van Bommel surged down the left and swung over a cross with the outside of his right foot, before Gakpo made it 1-1 at the far post with an excellent volley.