Jurgen Klopp got the result he needed in Munich on Thursday. Germany beat Serbia 2-0 at the Allianz Arena in a 2026-27 Nations League Group A2 tie, with Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof scoring in the 39th minute and Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz doubling the lead in the 61st.
It was Klopp’s first win from three matches in charge, after a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on his debut and a 1-0 home defeat by Greece in Augsburg three days later.
“This performance must now be the baseline. This will go into my archives, so we can show the lads how it can be done,” Klopp said after the match.
The opener came off a Wirtz solo. Wirtz wriggled past two defenders on the edge of the box and clipped the post with a toe-poked effort, with Bischof arriving first to lash the rebound into the roof of the net for his first Germany goal.
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‘The counter-pressing went through the roof’
The win was built on pressure. Klopp singled out his players’ work off the ball as the clearest change from the first two games.
“I told the lads before the match that I’ve never seen a bad game when the counter-pressing is on fire, and it was today,” he said.
“We can afford to take any risks and have any freedom if we win the ball back together. The back line defended superbly going forward.”
An entirely new XI, with Urbig and Scherhant debuts
Klopp fielded an entirely new starting XI from the side that lost to Greece three days earlier, handing debuts to goalkeeper Jonas Urbig and winger Derry Scherhant. Serge Gnabry wore the captain’s armband in Joshua Kimmich’s absence.
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Wirtz, who ran the match from midfield, said the squad had followed Klopp’s plan to the letter.
“It was incredibly enjoyable. I think every single player gave everything on the pitch today and followed the game plan. We got almost everything right today,” Wirtz told reporters.
Bischof, scoring his first senior Germany goal in front of his Bayern Munich home crowd, added: “The stadium was on fire today. It was simply a lot of fun, especially with the support we felt.”
Goalless return in Thessaloniki
Germany travelled to Greece on Sunday for the Group A2 return meeting at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, where Klopp made several changes and left with a 0-0 draw.
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“I’m very happy since I know what we’re coming off the back of. I didn’t think it would be possible to play like that in the first half after just a week,” Klopp said in Thessaloniki.
“The boys put in a top-notch performance. The play and movement were outstanding.”
Germany still trail Greece in Group A2, and Serbia remain bottom without a point from four matches.
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