Germany go into Serbia needing points to keep their Nations League campaign alive, with Jürgen Klopp narrowing his options and handing Brajan Gruda a debut start. Germany are third in the group with five points before the final matches, while the Netherlands and Greece are both on eight. That leaves Germany needing to climb at least to second place if they want to keep realistic quarter-final hopes alive.
Gruda's first start and Schlotterbeck's omission
The big selection call is Gruda. He is making his debut in the Germany national team and starts on the right as Klopp's 11th newcomer, a bold enough choice for a match that already carries pressure.
Nico Schlotterbeck is on the bench, which tells you Klopp is not treating this as a routine group game. Gruda's club form has been solid too, with a 7.41 rating in the Bundesliga and 7.02 in the Champions League.
Serbia's closed-door backdrop
The match at Serbia vs Germany also comes with an unusual atmosphere. UEFA ordered Serbia to play a home match behind closed doors after racist and discriminatory behaviour by fans against Greece and the Netherlands, and also imposed a fine of €50,000. Children under 14 are still allowed into the stadium according to UEFA statutes, so some travelling support is expected.
A federation spokesperson for the German Press Agency told SPORT1: "We are currently expecting around 5,000 visitors". That should soften the setting a little, but it does not change what Germany need from the result in Belgrade on Friday night.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
