Finally football fun again. The revamped national team with debutant Mika Baur as the 1000th national player gave Jürgen Klopp his longed-for first victory as national coach. Premier goalscorer Tom Bischof (39th minute) and the freely spinning Florian Wirtz (61st) scored the goals in the 2-0 (1-0) win against Serbia in Munich, which was achieved with a lot of offensive courage.
The doubts that quickly arose after the setback in the 0-1 win against Greece about a quick Klopp effect to restart the DFB selection after the World Cup disaster have been dispelled by the first ray of hope - because the system really worked for the first time in the third game. For the 59-year-old, the victory in front of 68,121 spectators was a huge relief. The fans celebrated the first Klopp party in black, red and gold.
After the shift change to his second squad without established players such as captain Joshua Kimmich or defense chief Jonathan Tah, the DFB head coach started with a completely new starting eleven. The young midfield in particular with Bischof (21 years old), Wirtz (23) and Aleksandar Pavlovic (22) showed the Klopp brand of power football. Another plus point: For the first time in seven international matches, goalkeeping hopeful Jonas Urbig made his DFB debut with a clean sheet.
Now the revenge against Greece
Thanks to the success against bottom team Serbia, which still has no points, the situation in the Nations League has improved again for the DFB team. On Sunday we go to Greece for the second leg - Klopp still has a score to settle there.
With the home win against the Serbs, Klopp saw his hope confirmed that more training time with the second squad would also lead to stronger performances. "If they perform the way they trained, then it will be very lively," promised the head coach before kick-off on ZDF - and he was right.
In Urbig and the Freiburg winger Derry Scherhant, Klopp sent two debutants onto the field from the start. Against the expected deep block from the Serbs, Scherhant was able to draw attention to himself with some good moves.
Usury of opportunities against weak Serbs
Pavlovic missed the first good chance, whose shot from the edge of the penalty area whizzed just past the right post in the eighth minute. Just over a minute later, Nick Woltemade missed the lead on Scherhant's assist. Gnabry also didn't aim precisely enough (17th).
Klopp often applauded his protégés, but also used gestures on the sidelines to demand more speed. The DFB team repeatedly came to the goal of the mostly passive Serbs with good prospects, but showed weaknesses in the end. Bischof's shot only found the side netting (24'). After a fine combination via Florian Wirtz and Woltemade, Gnabry failed free in front of guest goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic (30th).
That would have almost been punished on the other side. There was already a murmur in the stands due to some risky defensive moves when former Bundesliga professional Filip Kostic suddenly ran away from the German defense. Kosta Nedeljkovic slipped just centimeters past his cross from the baseline (32').
Future Klopp boss Mertesacker: “Results don’t replace anything”
While the game against Greece had a rather lulling effect on some spectators, the fans in the Munich football temple couldn't complain about the action. After Wirtz initially missed a great header chance (35th) and hit the post a little later, Bishop saved the hosts with a follow-up shot. The 21-year-old, who moved from the U21 to the A squad, celebrated the first goal in the second international match.
The first home goal under Klopp was long deserved, Pavlovic almost increased it before the break. The audience sent the DFB selection into the break with lots of applause; the dynamism and commitment were right this time. The future DFB managing director Per Mertesacker also took a close look at his last assignment as a ZDF expert. “Results don’t replace anything. Euphoria can die down,” the former world champion warned before kick-off.
Klopp doesn't see it any differently, but the national coach continued his squad casting after the break. Saïd El Mala came into the game as the next debutant for Gnabry, with Wirtz taking over the captain's armband.
Baur as the 1000th DFB debutant
The picture on the lawn didn't change. The German team had clear chances and could have forced the preliminary decision through El Mala (57th) and Woltemade (59th). When Wirtz then scored the long overdue second goal, Klopp, in front of the German bench, high-fived everyone who crossed his path. Maximilian Mittelstädt served the Liverpool professional in the penalty area, Wirtz coolly let his opponent Srdjan Babic get out and pushed in flat.
Now there was still time for some German football history: Klopp moved on, as 1000th. The debutant in DFB history was the 22-year-old Baur from Celtic Glasgow, son of former handball national player Markus Baur, in the one-sided game. Klopp's men maintained their momentum until the end, but no further goals were scored.
