Jurgen Klopp secured his first victory as Germany head coach on Thursday as his youthful side defeated Serbia 2-0 in their third UEFA Nations League fixture.
Goals from Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof and Liverpool star Florian Wirtz gave Germany a much-needed victory in Munich, easing some of the pressure on Klopp after a difficult start to his tenure.
The former Liverpool manager had opened his Germany reign with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands before suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat to Greece last weekend. Another failure to win would have made Klopp the first Germany coach to go without a victory in his opening three matches.
Instead, Germany produced a significantly improved display against a Serbia side that struggled to create a consistent threat.
Klopp made sweeping changes to his lineup, naming an entirely different starting XI from the team that lost to Greece. The decision reflected the manager’s willingness to assess the depth of his squad after initially selecting 44 players for his first international camp.
Three players made their Germany debuts, with Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, Freiburg forward Derry Scherhant and Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt all receiving their first senior caps.
The night also produced a milestone as Celtic’s Mika Baur became the 1,000th player to represent Germany when he came on in the 77th minute.
Germany dominated much of the first half, with Aleksandar Pavlovic, Serge Gnabry and Bischof all coming close to opening the scoring. Serbia offered little in response, with Filip Kostic’s counter-attack providing their main threat.
The hosts finally broke the deadlock shortly before half-time. Wirtz created space with impressive footwork inside the box before seeing his effort strike the post. Bischof reacted quickest to the rebound, firing into an unguarded net.
Germany continued to control proceedings after the break, keeping Serbia pinned deep in their own half.
Nick Woltemade missed a huge opportunity to double the advantage in the 59th minute, lifting the ball over the bar from close range.
Wirtz made sure Germany would not pay for the miss moments later. After a superb first touch created space inside the box, the Liverpool midfielder calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner.
The goal effectively settled the contest and allowed the home crowd to enjoy the closing stages, with a Mexican wave sweeping around the Munich stadium.
For Klopp, the victory provides his Germany project with its first win and a platform to build on as the Nations League campaign continues.
