Germany cruised to a 3-1 win against Serbia in Belgrade on Friday, setting up a crunch encounter with the Netherlands in Berlin on Monday to decide who tops Group A2.
In teeming rain in an almost empty stadium, the Germans forced Serbia’s Srdan Babic into an early own goal with Florian Wirtz and debutant Brajan Gruda also scoring.
Babic made up for his blunder with a second-half consolation strike, while Serbia finished with nine men after substitutes Vanja Dragojevic and Andrija Zivkovic were sent off late on.
Germany have now won twice, drawn twice and lost once in five games under coach Jürgen Klopp, who was optimistic the side were beginning to take shape under his tutelage.
“We played a truly fantastic game. I think we need to get a bit more used to the fact that we’re genuinely good – and capable of being very, very good,” Klopp told RTL. “Our counter-pressing was superb and the intensity was top-notch. So, from my point of view, it was a really, really good game.
“We wanted to qualify for that ‘final’ in Berlin, and now we have … It’s great. We’re looking forward to it, and we have a wealth of options to choose from.”
The Netherlands ’ 7-0 annihilation of Greece in Amsterdam means the Germans will probably need to win on Monday to reach the quarter-finals, unless Serbia beat the Greeks away from home.
Tijjani Reijnders netted a first-half hat-trick for the Dutch and they were 5-0 up at the break, with Crysencio Summerville putting the hosts ahead in the sixth minute before Reijnders ran riot and Jurriën Timber notched their fifth before half-time. Timber scored again just before the hour mark with Donyell Malen getting the final goal.
Switzerland are playing in the second tier of the Nations League for the first time, but their bid to rejoin Europe’s elite stayed on course after a 0-0 draw with Slovenia , their closest rival in Group B1.
