Germany defeated Serbia 3-1 in Belgrade on Friday in UEFA Nations League Group A2, setting up a decisive match against the Netherlands for a spot in the quarterfinals, Le Figaro reported.
Jürgen Klopp’s side sits on eight points in the group standings, three behind the Netherlands, who dominated Greece 7-0 in Amsterdam on the same night, according to France 24.
The large victory gives the German squad control of its qualification path ahead of Monday’s fixture at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Le Figaro noted. A win guarantees advancement, while a draw could also suffice if Greece loses to Serbia simultaneously.
“We expect very long balls,” Jürgen Klopp told RTL, explaining his tactical choices for the fixture. He added that Serbian goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic “could even send the ball out of the stadium from here.”
Germany Takes Early Lead in Belgrade Rain
Playing under heavy rain at Red Star Belgrade’s Marakana stadium, the visitors opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, Le Figaro reported. Maximilian Mittelstädt sent in a corner that was redirected by Malick Thiaw and turned into his own net by Serbian defender Srdan Babic.
Aleksandar Pavlovic capitalized on a defensive slip shortly after to find Kai Havertz in the penalty area. Although Havertz lost his duel with Milinkovic-Savic, Florian Wirtz collected the loose ball and chipped the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 in the 14th minute.
Brajan Gruda earned his first start for the national team under Klopp, becoming the 11th player to debut during the manager’s tenure, which began in late July following Julian Nagelsmann’s departure, France 24 reported. Gruda scored Germany’s third goal in the 50th minute after intercepting a ball in his own half and outpacing the Serbian defense.
Babic pulled a goal back for Serbia in the 56th minute to make it 3-1. The hosts finished the match with nine men following late red cards shown to substitutes Vanja Dragojevic in the 74th minute and Andrija Zivkovic in the 89th minute, Le Figaro detailed.
The fixture took place in front of 5,000 accompanied children under the age of 14 after UEFA ordered a closed-doors match due to discriminatory fan behavior during Serbia’s previous home defeats against the Netherlands and Greece in September, according to France 24.
Dutch Rout Leaves Greece Stunned
In Amsterdam, the Netherlands secured a 7-0 victory against Greece at the Johan Cruyff Arena to solidify their place at the top of Group A2 with 11 points, Le Figaro reported. The Oranje need only a draw against Germany on Monday in Berlin to reach the quarterfinals.
The Greek defense struggled early, with West Ham defender Dinos Mavropanos committing two errors that allowed Crysencio Summerville to open the scoring in the 6th minute. Tijani Reijnders added a second goal in the 12th minute following a buildup involving Jurrien Timber and Joey Veerman.
Reijnders completed a hat-trick with goals in the 18th and 33rd minutes, capitalizing on a chest control from Donyell Malen and a pass from Denzel Dumfries. Malen a ensuite servi Timber pour le cinquième but à la 40e minute avant d’inscrire lui-même son nom au tableau d’affichage en seconde période, aux côtés d’un autre but de Timber.
Klopp Selects Tah and Thiaw for Aerial Advantage
Ahead of the fixture in Belgrade, Klopp surprised observers by selecting Jonathan Tah and Malick Thiaw in central defense ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck. Klopp pointed to Serbia’s tactical reliance on aerial duels and Milinkovic-Savic’s distribution range as the reasoning behind the personnel decision.
“The small advantage of Tah and Thiaw is the fight for the first ball,” Klopp said, according to Yahoo Actualités. Schlotterbeck remained on the bench after recovering from ankle injuries that sidelined him for earlier Nations League fixtures.
The final round of Group A2 matches takes place on Monday, with Germany hosting the Netherlands at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, while Greece plays Serbia.
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