With much of the animosity gone, Germany and the Netherlands will take the field today in the latest chapter of a rivalry that has become more friendly in recent years.

Previous encounters between the two neighbours have often brought out the worst in both sides, but with many Dutch players making their living in the Bundesliga, the matches have become less heated affairs.

Germany, coming off a 3-3 draw in Ukraine, will be looking to end the year with a prestigious victory over its traditional rival.

“It’s always special to play the Netherlands but it’s a friendly and I don’t expect it to become volatile,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said yesterday. “In the past, our matches often produced dogged conflicts but it’s different now, I don’t expect much aggression.”

The two teams return to Hamburg, the site of one of the biggest Dutch victories and one of the most notorious acts of shame, when Ronald Koeman used the Germany shirt he swapped for with Olaf Thon to symbolically wipe his behind after the Netherlands’ 2-1 win the semifinals of the 1988 European Championship. The Dutch went on win their first and only title.

Two years later at the World Cup in Italy, Frank Rijkaard spat at Rudi Voeller as the Germans knocked out the Dutch before winning the title.

While the Dutch often played more entertaining football, the Germans won the titles, like in the 1974 World Cup final.

The times have changed and the players on both sides have behaved much better in recent matches.

Germany has caught up with the Dutch in terms of flair and both teams are considered among the favorites to take the title away from Spain at next year’s European Championship in Poland and Ukraine. The most recent major tournament, the Germans lost to Spain in the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup, while the Dutch were beaten in the final.

The Netherlands will be without Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who is being rested, and Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who strained a hamstring in Friday’s 0-0 draw with Switzerland. Ajax right back Gregory van der Wiel is expected to be fit again after missing the Switzerland match.

Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar looks set to play in a face mask to protect his nose, which he broke in a 0-0 draw with Larnaka in the Europa League on 3 November. He has 21 goals in 19 games for Schalke this season.

Huntelaar is one of a large group of Dutch internationals who play or have played in the Bundesliga, including captain Mark van Bommel, winger Ryan Babel and defender Joris Mathijsen.

Perhaps the most prominent Dutchman in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben, is also out with a groin injury.

Germany’s most significant absentee is Robben’s teammate, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is out with a broken collarbone.

Loew surprised even his own players when he decided to play with three defenders in Ukraine, an experiment that had limited success. Germany fought back from two goals down to earn the draw.

Loew will be celebrating his 75th match in charge, having lost only 10.

Germany usually plays with four defenders and one striker, but Loew could decide to put Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez together up front. Klose missed the match in Ukraine because of a sore knee, robbing Loew of a chance to try out the pair together.

Gomez doesn’t expect a two-striker formation to become permanent.

“It remains a competition between Miro and I. We both want a place in the starting 11. I don’t believe the coach will change the system just because both of us want to play. That’s not going to be the system we’ll play at Euro 2012,” Gomez told Kicker magazine.

Klose, now with Lazio, has 62 goals for Germany, just six behind Gerd Mueller’s record. Gomez has 18 goals in 20 matches for Bayern this season.