Klopp seeks Germany's first win over Serbia in Munich
At the Allianz‑Arena in Munich, Jürgen Klopp leads the Germany national team in his third assignment at the helm, facing Serbia this Thursday. The training session, captured by Federico Gambarini, followed the 1‑1 draw against the Netherlands and the 0‑1 loss to Greece, and the coach needs a win to dispel doubts.
Recent results
Klopp’s debut as manager ended with a 1‑1 draw against the ‘oranje’ of the Netherlands on September 24, where Xavi Hernández also made his debut. Three days later, Germany fell 0‑1 to Greece, a historic victory for the Greeks who had never before beaten the German side.
After the defeat, Klopp said: “If they expect miracles from me, they shouldn’t, to be handsome first you have to be ugly.” With only two matches, there is little room to assess his project. The situation is being debated in the international football media, which analyze the German coach’s situation.
The Serbian manager, Veljko Paunovic, arrives in Munich in a delicate position after losing his first two matches, 1‑2 to Greece and 1‑2 to the Netherlands. Both defeats increase the pressure on his side ahead of the clash in Germany.
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Injuries and doubts in defence
In Wednesday’s training session, Nico Schlotterbeck twisted his right ankle, which required an immediate MRI. This is the second ankle injury he has suffered this year, after a similar injury at the World Cup against Ivory Coast.
Schlotterbeck played the full 90 minutes against the Netherlands, but was omitted against Greece to protect him. With Joshua Kimmich out of the second squad, the defender was among the candidates for the captaincy for the match against Serbia.
Waldemar Anton, Schlotterbeck’s teammate at Borussia Dortmund, and full‑backs Finn Jeltsch (Stuttgart) and Malick Thiaw (Newcastle) could start the defensive line. Moreover, in the current window Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz are already injured, two key pieces of Klopp’s project.
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Facing the urgency to reverse the poor run, the pressure on Klopp and his squad intensifies, while Serbia also aims to avoid its third consecutive slip in the Nations League.