Wirtz dazzles with Devil’s Wheel tricks in win over Serbia

In the flickering light of the Munich arena, on Thursday evening the ball from Florian Wirtz floated over the grass, while the crowd held its breath. The German international used devilish tricks to shift the midfield and led the German national football team to its first victory under head coach Jürgen Klopp.

Wirtz enchants with ball tricks

Wirtz made the ball race back and forth between the left, right and again left inner side of his shoe, as if he were in a particle accelerator. His shot initially hit the post, but Tom Bischof struck the rebound with a “Big Bang” into the net, establishing the 1‑0 lead against Serbia – the first goal of the match and also the first win for the German national side under head coach Jürgen Klopp. The dpa described the game as the best encounter of the team so far.

Shortly after, he pulled the ball back with the right sole, making it look as if he were performing a Moonwalk, before he himself tucked the ball into the net. This brought the final score to 2‑0 and displayed ball handling that is rarely seen even in the FC‑Bayern stadium. The Serbian defender Srdjan Babić was repeatedly “played on the beer coaster” by Wirtz – a phrase used in Germany for superior dribbling.

Kimmich in the shadow of the devil’s wheel

At the Oktoberfest, the devil’s wheel – the rapidly spinning carousel that hurls a man after another from the disc – is used as a metaphor for Wirtz’s unstoppable movements. The device works such that participants sit on a disc that rotates faster and faster until the centrifugal force throws them into the air; when resistance is needed, the staff use several ropes and a pendulum ball that suddenly flies towards the participants, similar to how Oliver Kahn once faced Stéphane Chapuisat. If Wirtz had entered the devil’s wheel on Thursday evening instead of the midfield, the staff would probably still be futilely trying on Friday morning to separate him from the ball and push him off the disc.

Klopp’s opening FIFA window splits fortunes as Wirtz shines and Kimmich falters

Klopp explained that Joshua Kimmich had asked several times whether he could still be involved in the third and fourth appearances under the new coach after the first and second matches. The head coach, however, pointed out that he was not permitted to do so. “The more you ask, the less likely you are to get what you want,” Klopp added.

Klopp praises the new role distribution

In Klopp’s 4‑3‑6 system, Wirtz played half‑left in the midfield line alongside Aleksandar Pavlović and Tim Bischof, who later said he had “been able to experience” Wirtz. “It’s such a beautiful evening,” Klopp said while sitting at the podium of the press conference. “And in the end it will become a Jo‑Kimmich story. You’ll manage that. You’ll get it done. Pavlović, Bischof, Wirtz worked great. So unfortunately I can’t sing along to the song.” With this he emphasized that the new role distribution is already bearing fruit and the team is further developing.

Matthäus demands clear support from Klopp for Kimmich

The full analysis is also available in the app, where readers can retrieve the interview and the statistics. Wirtz’s performance makes clear that Klopp has already found the optimal position for the best German player and thereby sets new impulses for the Nations‑League campaign.