The Netherlands finally ended their 11-match run without a win with a deserved 2-1 friendly victory over Germany in Amsterdam last night.

The triumph, only the second under coach Frank Rijkaard and the first since October 1998, was achieved with first-half goals from Patrick Kluivert and Boudewijn Zenden, the second after Christian Ziege had levelled for the Germans.

The new-look strip, with black shorts as a reminder of their 1970s heyday, may have helped, but less than four months before they open their Euro 2000 campaign, the Dutch finally showed the rhythm and lasting concentration they have previously lacked.

The Dutch won by battling in the middle. Edgar Davids, captain for the first time, was irrepressible. He and Clarence Seedorf in the centre had the beating of Jens Jeremies and Dietmar Hamann.

Indeed, the Dutch could, and should, have cleaned up in the first half and gone into the break 4-1 ahead. Kluivert had the easiest of side-foots to set up Ruud van Nistelrooy but chose to curl the ball round the goalkeeper. In doing so, he curled it round the post. A minute from time, Boudewijn Zenden found himself clear, but struck the post.

The game produced a world record 144th cap for Germany's Lothar Matthaeus. He now moves one cap ahead of Swedish goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli, with whom he previously held the joint record. The 38-year-old Bayern Munich veteran played the entire 90 minutes.

The Dutch win puts them level with Germany in encounters between the two. Each have won 15 of their 43 meetings. It is also their first win since they defeated Peru 16 months ago.

Netherlands: E van der Sar; M Reiziger, J Stam, P Cocu (A Numan 76), W Bogarde; C Seedorf, R de Boer (R Makaay 65), E Davids, P Kluivert, R van Nistelrooy (J Floyd Hasselbaink 76), B Zenden.

Germany: O Kahn; M Babbel, C Ziege, T Linke, Z Sebescen (Sn Deisler 45), J Jeremies, M Scholl, D Hamann (D Wosz 61), O Bierhoff, L Matthaeus, O Neuville (F Baumann 76).

Referee: Domenico Messina (Italy)