Germany will meet Serbia in their next UEFA Nations League encounter on Thursday at the Allianz Arena as they look to register their first win of the tournament.
Germany vs Serbia – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 1st October.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich.
Germany team news
Germany’s squad features wholesale changes as manager Jürgen Klopp implements a strict two-squad rotation strategy for this international window.
Most of the core starters from the previous match, including Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, and Marc-André ter Stegen, have returned to their clubs.
Klopp’s experimental approach leaves just six players from the opening fixtures, opening the door for up to nine potential debutants, such as 23-year-old goalkeeper Jonas Urbig.
However, Germany’s preparations have been heavily disrupted by a mounting injury crisis. Defender Nico Schlotterbeck was ruled out late on Wednesday after suffering a lateral ankle ligament injury during the final training session.
He joins primary attackers Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala on the sidelines, both of whom withdrew earlier with muscle strains.
To bolster his depleted attack, Klopp has fast-tracked Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Burkardt into the matchday squad to provide crucial cover.
Serbia team news
Serbia arrives without their primary attacking catalyst, as star talisman Aleksandar Mitrović remains sidelined due to an ongoing injury.
His prolonged absence has forced a tactical re-evaluation in the final third, leaving the manager with dilemmas up front.
Dejan Joveljić, who spearheaded the attack in the previous match, faces stiff competition from Luka Jović for the lone striker role. Jović is pushing strongly for a starting spot after making a major impact and scoring off the bench in their last outing.
Tactically, Serbia is expected to rely on their experienced defensive trio of Nemanja Gudelj, Srđan Babić, and Strahinja Pavlović to absorb German pressure.
In midfield, the creative burden will fall heavily on Sergej Milinković-Savić and Andrija Živković to control the tempo, navigate Germany’s high press, and supply quality service to whichever forward gets the nod to lead the line.
Form
Germany
Germany enters this fixture seeking consistency under new manager Jürgen Klopp. Die Mannschaft opened their UEFA Nations League campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to the Netherlands. However, their momentum was abruptly halted on Sunday by a disappointing 1-0 home defeat against Greece. Currently winless in their last four matches stretching back to the World Cup, Germany sits third in Group A2 with just a single point to their name.
Serbia
Serbia is desperate for a turnaround after an incredibly tough start to their Nations League group campaign. They currently sit rock bottom of the table with zero points following back-to-back losses. First, they let an early lead slip in a 2-1 defeat to Greece, which was quickly followed by another close 2-1 loss against the Netherlands. Defensively vulnerable, Serbia has now lost four of their last five international fixtures.
Predicted lineups
Germany: Urbig; Baku, Anton, Thiaw, Raum; Janelt, Pavlovic; Adeyemi, Bischof, Wirtz; Burkardt
Serbia: V Milinkovic-Savic; Terzic, Pavlovic, Babic, Nadeljkovic; Lukic, Gudelj; S Milinkovic-Savic, Stankovic, Zivkovic; Joveljic
How to watch Germany vs Serbia?
In the UK, you can stream the Germany vs. Serbia match live on Amazon Prime Video.
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