Germany vs Serbia – News and Probable Lineups

Germany aims to start October with a positive result as they face Serbia at the Allianz Arena this Thursday in their upcoming UEFA Nations League match.

Both teams have struggled without a win in their first two fixtures, and they will be looking to turn things around.

Match overview

A 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Jurgen Klopp’s debut match as head coach was a reasonable beginning, though conceding a late equalizer was disappointing. However, the 1-0 loss to Greece, thanks to a 74th-minute goal by Dimitris Kourbelis, was underwhelming overall.

Die Mannschaft have not achieved victory in their last four matches since their final group-stage match at the World Cup against Ecuador, and they have not kept a clean sheet in seven consecutive games, tracing back to a friendly against the United States prior to the World Cup.

Once regarded as favorites for the top spot in League A, Group 2, Germany is currently in the relegation playoff spot, sitting in third position ahead of Klopp’s return to a venue where he had memorable encounters while managing Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool.

Being three points behind the Netherlands and two points adrift of Greece, Germany cannot afford to lose points in their next match, especially with the two top teams going head-to-head.

Yet, their history against Serbia hints that a tough matchup may be ahead, with their last three encounters yielding one win apiece and a draw.

Klopp made an unusual choice to name two distinct squads totaling 44 players for the international break, and Thursday’s match provides the second group a significant chance to make an impression and get Germany’s Nations League campaign back on track.

Although Serbia is further progressed in their transition, they are still acclimating to the changes under new head coach Veljko Paunovic, who is approaching his tenth match in charge after taking over from longtime manager Dragan Stojkovic, who completed his four-year tenure in October 2025.

Paunovic has faced difficulties in achieving consistency, with Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands marking his sixth loss in eight matches, resulting in Serbia’s position at the bottom of League A, Group 2, having lost four consecutive fixtures for the first time in over 20 years.

While his position appears secure for now given his previous work with Serbia’s youth teams, Paunovic knows that results need to improve swiftly.

Both of Orlovi’s Nations League losses have come by a narrow margin, indicating a competitive edge, although this has largely stemmed from the poor finishing of their opponents; Serbia has conceded eight significant chances over two games, four of which occurred in the second half of their latest match.

The visitors have also been slow off the mark, allowing the first goal in eight of their last ten matches and trailing at halftime in seven of their last eight outings.

For them to secure any points in Munich, they must avoid a repeat of these slow starts against a German side anticipated to aggressively pursue a rebound from their current slump.

Team News

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has pulled out of international duty due to an injury sustained in Germany’s opener for the Nations League, although he was not expected to feature even without the injury.

With Klopp likely to implement changes, Malick Thiaw and Waldemar Anton could be set to start in central defence, with David Raum and Ridle Baku taking up positions as full-backs.

Tom Bischof, who recently appeared for the Under-21 side against Latvia, may be in line for his senior debut in this match.

Dusan Tadic secured his record-extending 113th cap for Serbia in the previous match, pulling seven caps ahead of Aleksandar Mitrovic in the all-time appearances rankings for the country.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic unavailable for this fixture, much of the scoring pressure will fall on Luka Jovic, who scored against the Netherlands.

Jovic also found the net against Germany in their last encounter, making him a player to keep an eye on in this match.

Germany probable starting XI:

Atubolu; Baku, Anton, Thiaw, space; Janelt, Pavlovic; Adeyemi, Bishop, Wirtz; Burkardt

Serbia probable starting XI:

V Milinkovic-Savic; Terzic, Pavlovic, Babic, Nadeljkovic; Lukic, Gudelj; S Milinkovic-Savic, Stankovic, Zivkovic; Joveljic

Germany has yet to reach their peak performance under Klopp, who will be keen to orchestrate a more impressive showing in front of the Allianz Arena crowd.

We anticipate the hosts will secure a much-needed victory against their opponents.