The Oranje team created a lot of chances in the game, with debutant Ruben van Bommel being involved in a goal. Despite not winning against a top team, Xavi's side showed a significant improvement in creating opportunities. Netherlands had 22 shots and 3.1 expected goals, numbers that were never achieved in the 15 games under Ronald Koeman. The last time the Oranje team had this many expected goals against a top team was in the 2014 World Cup opener against Spain.
The team also put a lot of pressure on the German build-up, successfully winning seven ball recoveries deep in the opponent's half. This is a number that was not achieved in any of the four World Cup matches last summer. The draw against Germany means that the Oranje team still hasn't won a match against a top 25 team under Xavi.