Bischof and Wirtz gave Klopp his first Germany win after a first half of 16 shots to none

Jürgen Klopp has his first win as Germany head coach. Tom Bischof and Florian Wirtz scored in a 2-0 victory over Serbia at the Allianz Arena on Thursday, in front of 68,121 people in Munich, in the third match of Klopp's reign and the third round of UEFA Nations League Group A2.

Germany arrived with one point, after a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam and a 1-0 home defeat by Greece. According to dpa, a third match without a win would have made Klopp the first Germany head coach to go his first three without one.

Sixteen shots to none

Klopp picked from the second of the two squads he named for this window. Jonas Urbig of Bayern Munich started in goal in his club's stadium, alongside Freiburg's Derry Scherhant, and both made their Germany debuts. Serge Gnabry wore the armband.

Germany were on top from the start. They had 16 shots to Serbia's none before half-time, as many as they managed in the whole of the defeat by Greece. Aleksandar Pavlović missed the post by a whisker after eight minutes, and Nick Woltemade could not get the ball past a defender in the area. Djordje Petrović then saved well from Gnabry, who had been put through by Woltemade, after 30 minutes.

Serbia's one real moment came almost straight away. Filip Kostić broke down the left and crossed low for Kosta Nedeljković at the far post, who slid in two metres out and missed it.

Germany scored five minutes before the break. Wirtz dribbled into the area and hit the post, and Bischof drove the rebound in under the bar from about four metres.

Wirtz with the armband

Said El Mala came on for Gnabry at half-time, and Wirtz took over as captain. Woltemade should have made it 2-0 on 59 minutes, firing over from close range after a Philipp Treu cross. Two minutes later Maximilian Mittelstädt carried the ball through midfield, and Liverpool's Wirtz shot from 12 metres and wrong-footed Petrović.

Serbia made four changes on 68 minutes and briefly threatened. Strahinja Pavlović volleyed a free-kick cross towards goal, and Urbig got a hand to it. Petrović saved Malick Thiaw's header on 81 minutes, and that was the last real chance. Urbig kept a clean sheet on a night when Germany handed out three more debuts: El Mala, Celtic's Mika Baur, who became the 1,000th Germany international, and Vitaly Janelt, the 1,001st.

What Klopp and Paunović said

Klopp said he was happy with the start, the middle and the end. He argued that Germany can afford any risk if the whole team wins the ball back together, and that the pressing moments had worked all the way up to the last line.

The counter-pressing went through the roof.

Jürgen Klopp after the match, via DFB.de. Translated from German by ArenaBulletin.

Bischof said the stadium had been on fire, and that scoring in front of Bayern's south stand was an incredible feeling. Urbig said a clean sheet is always special for a goalkeeper, and that Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich had messaged him before the match.

Serbia's coach, Veljko Paunović, told TV Arena Sport that nobody could be satisfied, in comments translated from Serbian. He said Serbia are not making mistakes so much as missing the automatisms every team needs, and that they would keep working in the same direction.

Group A2 after three rounds

Greece lead on seven points after drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands in Thessaloniki on Thursday, having led 2-0 at half-time through Fotis Ioannidis and Georgios Masouras. Virgil van Dijk and Tijjani Reijnders scored for the Dutch, who have five. Germany have four, and Serbia none. The top two reach the quarter-finals in March 2027.

Germany travel to Thessaloniki to play Greece again on Sunday 4 October, at 20:45 CEST, live on RTL in Germany. Serbia play the Netherlands the same day.