"In a way a draw is a good thing because it prevents the kind of complacency that settles in when you win clearly."
Germany went into the tournament in desperate form following a 5-1 defeat by Romania and a 2-0 home loss to Hungary.
Their performance in their Group D opener, particularly in the opening 45 minutes, was more reminiscent of their confident run to the 2002 World Cup final.
"We
"I think a draw is a fair result, though, because the Dutch did step up a gear in the second half."
Germany next face Latvia, who lost 2-1 to the Czech Republic on Tuesday, and the team will go into that game with renewed confidence.
"It was tough for both sides because we had both struggled in the warm-up to the tournament," said Michael Ballack, named man of the match after a typically bustling performance in midfield.
"I think in a way both teams rehabilitated themselves tonight," said Ballack. "We didn't know exactly where we stood but now we can be positive going into the next game.
"This is a cause for confidence. In the last month we kept losing against great teams but we proved tonight we can hold our own against a top team."