Germany will be desperate for all three points when they host Serbia at the Allianz Arena on Thursday night.
Both Germany and Serbia will be eyeing their first win in the UEFA Nations League when they square up against each other in Munich in matchday three.
The home team are currently third in their group with one point from their two outings. They started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. While Jurgen Klopp’s men were on the verge of securing all three points, an injury-time strike by Cody Gakpo spoiled the party.
In Klopp’s second game in charge, Germany ended up suffering a 1-0 defeat to Greece. While they dominated possession, Die Mannschaft could not make it count. They did not create enough chances, and the few that came their way were not converted. So, Klopp’s men will have to do much better in the final third if they want to keep their campaign alive.
Meanwhile, the visitors are at the bottom of their group without a point after two games. Serbia started their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Greece. While they did take an early lead, Greece dominated the proceedings and scripted an impressive comeback.
Serbia then lost 2-1 to the Netherlands last time out. Once again, they were completely outplayed and did not deserve to get anything out of the game. Given their recent performances, the away side will certainly be the underdogs here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Germany
Jurgen Klopp picked two different squads for this international break. The first squad was involved in the first two outings, and now a group of completely different players will take the field for Germany against Serbia. Only six players from the first squad will be involved in this fixture: Finn Dahmen, Nico Schlotterbeck, Philipp Treu, Yannik Engelhardt, Bambase Conte and Serge Gnabry.
Jurgen Klopp will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation when Germany host Serbia at the Allianz Arena on Thursday. Noah Atubolu is all set to make his international debut, as he is likely to take charge in goal. David Raum and Ridle Baku are expected to be the full-backs, while Malick Thiaw will pair up with Waldemar Anton in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Vitaly Janelt and Aleksandar Pavlovic will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of the game. Said El Mala and Florian Wirtz could feature on the flanks, while Lennart Karl could take up the number ten role in behind Jonathan Burkardt, who is expected to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Atubolu; Baku, Anton, Thiaw, Raum; Janelt, Pavlovic; El Mala, Karl, Wirtz; Burkardt
Serbia
While Dusan Vlahovic had already withdrawn from their squad prior to the Netherlands fixture, the good news is that they do not have any fresh injury concerns.
Serbia are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Germany, with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic starting between the sticks. Kosta Nedeljkovic and Aleksa Terzic should feature as the full-backs, while Srdan Babic is likely to partner Strahinja Pavlovic in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Nemanja Gudelj and Sasa Lukic should form the double pivot. The duo will look to protect the backline and ensure German midfielders do not run the show.
Andrija Zivkovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are expected to occupy the wide areas, providing width to their attacks. Milinkovic-Savic might be deployed as a winger, but he will drop into the midfield, with Germany likely to dominate the ball.
Meanwhile, Aleksandar Stankovic could take up the number ten role behind Dejan Joveljic, who will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): V Milinkovic-Savic; Nedeljkovic, Babic, Pavlovic, Terzic; Gudelj, Lukic; Zivkovic, Stankovic, S Milinkovic-Savic; Joveljic
Key Stats
- Serbia have lost each of their last four games across competitions.
- Meanwhile, Germany have also been winless in their last four games (3 defeats, 1 draw).
- Serbia have conceded the opening goal in eight out of their last ten matches. They have been trailing heading into half-time in seven out of their last eight games.
- Germany have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven games.
- Veljko Paunovic is gearing up for his 10th game as Serbia boss, while Klopp is all set to take charge for Germany for the 3rd time.
Player to Watch
Said El Mala
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The 20-year-old winger had quite an impressive campaign last time out. He was involved in a total of 34 Bundesliga games and ended up contributing towards 18 goals. His performances attracted a lot of interest and have also helped him break into the German national team.
The versatile forward is gearing up for his international debut, and he will be eager to make it count. He already has a goal to his name in his three league outings this season, and it won’t be a surprise if he ends up marking his debut with a goal or two.
Prediction
Germany 3-1 Serbia
Germany will have the advantage of playing at home and should be desperate to get their Nations League campaign back on track. Klopp’s side have struggled in their opening two games, particularly in the final third, but the arrival of a fresh group of players could provide them with the spark they need. With home advantage and plenty of attacking quality, Germany should be able to create more chances this time around.
Serbia have endured an even tougher start, losing both of their games and struggling to impose themselves against Greece and the Netherlands. They have enough quality to punish Germany if the hosts leave spaces at the back, but their recent defensive record is a major concern.
Germany should dominate possession and create enough opportunities to secure their first win under Klopp. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Jurgen Klopp’s team.
