Jürgen Klopp was finally able to celebrate his first victory as head coach of the German national team. After a draw and a loss in his first two matches, the coach led his team to a 2-0 victory over Serbia in Munich in UEFA Nations League action, with Florian Wirtz emerging as one of the standout players of the match.
Germany played with greater intensity and organization, employing the high press that Klopp has sought to implement since his arrival. The result also allowed him to avoid a negative milestone: becoming the first German national team coach to fail to win any of his first three matches.
The home team created several chances before opening the scoring. Derry Scherhant, Nick Woltemade, and Serge Gnabry all came close to scoring, but it was Tom Bischof who broke the deadlock in the 39th minute, capitalizing on a rebound after Wirtz had struck the post.
In the second half, Klopp brought on Said El Mala, who made his senior national team debut. However, the decisive moment came once again through Wirtz. The midfielder received a cross from Maximilian Mittelstädt, beat a defender with his first touch, and finished just inside the right post to seal the 2-0 victory.
“It was important to win again, for the team’s morale and to show that we’re good soccer players and also a good soccer nation,” said Wirtz, who viewed the result as a step in the right direction.
Netherlands Salvages a Draw Against Greece
In the other Group A2 match, the Netherlands once again left things to the wire and secured a 2-2 draw against Greece in Thessaloniki.
Tijjani Reijnders stepped up in the 89th minute to prevent a Dutch defeat. Earlier, Fotis Ioannidis had scored and provided an assist to give Greece the lead, while Virgil van Dijk scored for the visitors just before the hour mark.
The draw keeps Greece atop the group, following their away victories over Serbia and Germany.
Portugal Proves It Can Win Without Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal secured a 4-2 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen, in a match marked by the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the team the day before amid reports of a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus.
Gonçalo Ramos took center stage on offense and assisted João Cancelo to open the scoring. Mikkel Damsgaard equalized two minutes later, while Rasmus Højlund tied the game again in the 53rd minute.
Portugal’s response came with a header by Vitinha in the 67th minute, following a free kick by Bruno Fernandes. Finally, João Félix sealed the victory in the 87th minute.
Wales Upsets Norway, and Protests Erupt in Ireland
Wales secured its first victory in Group A4 with a 2-1 win over Norway, which finished the match with ten players. Oscar Bobb put the visitors ahead, but Daniel James equalized before halftime, and Neco Williams scored the winning goal after Torbjørn Heggem was sent off.
Meanwhile, Ireland drew 2-2 with Austria in a match interrupted during the first half by protesters who threw tennis balls wrapped in Palestinian flags onto the field. Troy Parrott scored twice for the Irish, but Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch managed to equalize.
In the other Group B3 match, Israel and Kosovo played to a scoreless draw. Additionally, Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan finished 0-0 in Group D2.
