Jürgen Klopp finally secured his first victory as Germany manager as Die Mannschaft defeated Serbia 2-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday. Tom Bischof opened the scoring before Florian Wirtz added a second after the break, giving Germany a much-needed three points in Munich.
The result was particularly important for Klopp, who had endured a difficult beginning to life in charge of his country. Germany had been held to a 1-1 draw by the Netherlands in its opening match before suffering a shock 1-0 defeat against Greece. A third consecutive game without a victory would have put Klopp in unwanted territory.
Klopp Finally Gets His First Germany Win
Germany entered the Serbia clash under considerable pressure following the disappointing defeat to Greece. Klopp had made several changes to his starting XI, including handing competitive debuts to goalkeeper Jonas Urbig and winger Derry Scherhant.
The hosts responded with a much-improved performance.
Germany dominated possession and created the majority of the opportunities, while Serbia struggled to consistently threaten Urbig's goal. The breakthrough eventually arrived through Bischof, who reacted quickest to score his first senior international goal.
Wirtz then doubled Germany's advantage to effectively settle the contest. The Bayer Leverkusen star was one of the standout performers on the night, helping Germany control the game and create further opportunities.
Germany ultimately saw out the match comfortably to claim a 2-0 victory and move onto four points after three games in Nations League Group A2.
For Klopp, however, the significance of the result went beyond the three points.
Klopp Avoids Embarrassing Germany Record
Had Germany failed to beat Serbia, Klopp would have faced an unwanted piece of history.
The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager was on the verge of becoming the first Germany manager to remain winless in his first three games in charge.
Klopp's first two matches had produced a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands and a shock 1-0 defeat to Greece. That left him needing a victory against Serbia to avoid an extremely uncomfortable start to his tenure.
Instead, Bischof and Wirtz ensured that Klopp could celebrate his first win as Germany boss.
The result therefore came at an important moment for the 59-year-old, who had already faced questions following Germany's unexpected loss to Greece. The defeat had been particularly damaging given Germany's status as one of Europe's traditional football powers.
A third straight game without a win would not necessarily have defined Klopp's reign, but it would have created an unnecessary statistical blemish at the very beginning of his tenure.
Germany Still Have Work to Do
Despite the encouraging victory, Klopp's Germany are far from having solved all their problems.
Germany currently sit third in Group A2 with four points, behind Greece and the Netherlands. Greece lead the group with seven points, while the Netherlands have five. Serbia, meanwhile, remain bottom without a point after three matches.
That means the group remains finely poised, with Germany still needing strong results in the remaining fixtures to secure their desired position.
For Klopp, though, the immediate priority was simply to get his first victory.
After a draw, a defeat and growing scrutiny, Germany finally delivered a convincing 2-0 win. More importantly, Klopp avoided becoming the first Germany manager to go winless in his opening three matches.
It may not be a record anyone would want, but for Klopp, it is one he can now safely forget.