If 1-1 was the forecast for their group D match against The Netherlands, Germany would have settled for it in all likelihood. In the end, this scoreline should remind them of an opportunity lost.

The contest was not of the highest order, since the Germans lack quality despite still being diligent, while the Dutch don’t seem disciplined enough to make most of the flair at their disposal.

It has to be said that discipline devoid of talent was more effective than skill without order on Tuesday night. The Netherlands salvaged a draw after turning the tide in the last 15-20 minutes and were lucky to find that the damage was not beyond repair till then.

There was nothing exceptional in the German approach. They were following a basic principle — go back to your position once you lose possession, for things won’t go out of control if everybody is in his place.

It was heartening to see that this generation of German players has been taught the virtue of positional discipline, which made their predecessors so outstanding. But their scoring ability is worrying and there is no exceptional talent, save Michael Ballack.

The prince of German football gave a standout performance. He was the heart and soul of the team and played like an inspirational leader. Left, right or centre, Ballack was everywhere, shouldering enormous load. He looked hungry and eager to prove that he is capable of inspiring — like Beckenbauer, Matthaeus or Matthias Sammer.

Germany’s Kevin Kuranyi vies with Jaap Stam (right) during their match in Oporto on Tuesday

The only blotch in Ballack’s sparkling effort was the unnecessary booking he picked up when the match was as good as over.

The orange of the Dutch paled before the German white. They were hollow in the midfield with Zenden and Davids fading out after a busy start. As a consequence, there was hardly any supply for the strikers with frequent phases of pressure on the defence.

From the Dutch point of view, it was not very encouraging to see that the old horses had to pull the team out of the pits. Stam showed that the one-time ‘lamp post’ in the Manchester United defence can still show the way and Overmars was the first attacker to reach the last line of German defenders.

There was little contribution from the younger players apart from that fantastic Nistelrooy equaliser. Capping a dull day with a strike marked by supreme opportunism and agility, this striker must have reminded the Germans of one Juergen Klinsmann, who scored many goals with similar athleticism.

From the first impression of the teams, the Czech Republic is my bet to top this group. They are an in-form lot with wide variety in combination play and lots of individual skill. True, they won’t be able to pound the defence in the way they did against Latvia but the Czechs have the ammunition to cause serious concern. The real tussle, so to say, should be between Germany and The Netherlands. The former will regret Tuesday’s stalemate if they lose out on a place in the quarter finals.

As for The Netherlands, late-risers in the first match, they must take it as a wake-up call and find the right combination. The lack of organisation seen in the Germany match doesn’t augur well for the Dutch.