Munich’s Allianz Arena gave Jürgen Klopp’s Germany a first victory at the third attempt, as a largely new-look selection overcame Serbia 2-0 after an opening draw with the Netherlands and a narrow defeat to Greece.
A fresh group in Munich
Klopp has divided his 44-player call-up into two groups, and the side facing Serbia contained only a small number of players who had also appeared in the earlier matches. Serge Gnabry and Treu were among those retained, while Bayern Munich goalkeeper Urbig and Freiburg winger Scherhant made their international debuts from the start.
Germany controlled the contest almost entirely, pressing Serbia back around their own penalty area and leaving Urbig with very little to do. Serbia, led by Paunovic, offered only occasional breaks from their defensive posture.
How Germany found their first win
- Germany began on the front foot. Pavlovic dragged a shot narrowly wide from outside the box, before centre-forward Woltemade headed off target.
- Gnabry then sent an effort across goal, while Bischof came close with a forceful strike as Germany’s pressure continued to build.
- Serbia goalkeeper Petrovic delayed the breakthrough with major saves, first denying Gnabry in a one-on-one situation and then keeping out a Wirtz header.
- Serbia briefly threatened through Kostic, whose fast run down the left ended with a dangerous cross that no teammate could convert.
- Five minutes before half-time, Wirtz struck the post after an individual piece of quality. Bischof reacted quickest to the loose ball and put Germany ahead.
- Bischof nearly added another before the interval, but Petrovic pushed away his powerful attempt with his fists.
- At the break, Klopp introduced another debutant. Cologne winger Said El Mala replaced Gnabry and soon bent an ambitious effort towards goal that would have been a spectacular finish had it gone in.
- Woltemade missed a clear opportunity when unmarked in the area, but Germany did not have to wait long for their second. With around 30 minutes remaining, Wirtz brought the ball under control superbly and finished with equal composure.
- The second goal did not draw a response from Serbia. Urbig remained almost untouched and made his first save only after the 75-minute mark.
- Klopp also handed a debut to Celtic midfielder Baur as Germany saw out a match in which they were never seriously troubled.
Wirtz sets the tone
Wirtz was Germany’s outstanding performer, involved in the move that created Bischof’s opener before scoring the goal that settled the evening. His display gave the Allianz Arena the lift it had been waiting for after the mixed results of Klopp’s first two games.
For Germany, the result was not merely a comfortable home win but a useful response from a rotating squad. The debutants were integrated into a side that dominated territory, created repeated chances and finally converted control into a convincing scoreline.
