Klopp’s Germany Face Must-Win Trip to Serbia With Quarter-Final Hopes on the Line

Germany travel to Belgrade on Friday night knowing anything less than victory over Serbia could end their Nations League quarter-final hopes, in the biggest test yet of Jurgen Klopp’s young reign as national coach.

Klopp’s side sit third in Group A2 on five points, three behind both the Netherlands and Greece, who meet in Amsterdam on the same evening. Germany have won just one of their four games so far — the 2-0 home win over Serbia in Munich — and defeat in Belgrade, combined with the Dutch avoiding defeat, would leave them with no route to the top two.

Serbia are bottom of the group without a point from four matches and facing relegation, but they will be desperate for a first point of the campaign in front of an empty Rajko Mitic Stadium — the match is being played behind closed doors after a UEFA sanction.

Fresh faces for Klopp

The Germany coach has named a trimmed 24-man squad for the final two fixtures, with a maiden call-up for Wael Mohya and a recall for Niclas Fullkrug after his electric start to the Bundesliga season with Werder Bremen, though defender Waldemar Anton has pulled out with a muscular problem.

A defining week

Germany round off their group campaign at home to the Netherlands on Monday, but Friday’s trip to Belgrade is the game that decides whether that fixture still matters — and Serbia, with Aleksandar Mitrovic back from injury, will not roll over despite missing suspended midfielders Sasa Lukic and Nemanja Maksimovic.

Source: Bundesliga.com