Nations League | DFB team: Jürgen Klopp is “super happy”

Derry Scherhant (r.), here against Manolis Saliakas, played his way to the fore against Greece. Photo: imago/J. Derondeaux Shortly after the final whistle, Jürgen Klopp gave his footballers the warmth that quickly had a beneficial effect on the German national team. The national coach put his left arm around midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic's neck for so long that he was almost caught in a headlock. But the fact that Klopp also seeks physical proximity to his players is well received. Captain Florian Wirtz described the new national coach as a “master at making everyone feel valued.” This is also part of the changes that Julian Nagelsmann's successor brought about in the selection of the German Football Association (DFB).

There was probably a bit of consolation in all the hugs on Sunday evening in the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki. The German team were held to a goalless draw in the Nations League by the Greek team that had inflicted a 1-0 defeat on them in Augsburg a week earlier - followed by some unpleasant debates.

Despite a good performance for a long time, the desired revenge was missed, as was a better starting position before the final games of the group phase. As third in the table, three points behind the Netherlands and Greece, the DFB team will probably need two wins against Serbia and the Netherlands in November in order to reach one of the top two places and thus the quarter-finals.

However, Klopp sees no reason to judge the situation negatively after four international matches. On the contrary: he always tries to promote a spirit of optimism. The only “flaw” in Thessaloniki was that his team didn’t take advantage of their chances. "If you had told me a week ago that we could deliver such a performance on Thursday and Sunday, I wouldn't have believed it," said Klopp, highlighting the first half as "outstanding." His team also “played a really great game” in the win against Serbia in Munich. Now a development step has been taken against the Greeks, “in conclusion I can say: I’m super happy with that.”

In fact, the DFB team played dominantly for an hour. However, the conclusions were often too imprecise. And when the game came to a head thanks to a sharp cross from the very committed Derry Scherhant, Jonathan Burkardt's goal was disallowed by VAR due to a previous handball by Tom Bischof. There was no striker goal in the fourth game under Klopp, with just three goals scored so far. There is only one win, two draws and one defeat. 

After the restart, it is now a structure that runs in sine curves. The 1-1 draw in the Netherlands at the start and the 0-1 draw against the Greeks was followed by the 2-0 draw against Serbia. After the recent 0-0 draw, the national players are now back in their clubs. But Klopp is confident that he won't have to start from scratch in the complicated November. When we see each other again, "the DFB football hard drive will not be completely empty," he said.

Klopp's list of topics remains full. The counter-pressing and enthusiasm are already working well and, along with the internal climate, are among the most noticeable improvements. However, the coordination in the offensive and the finishing can be improved. It will be exciting to see who of the 44 nominated players will be invited to meet again in five and a half weeks. The squad should then have a normal size, i.e. be reduced by around 20 players. Of the ten debutants, goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, right-back Philipp Treu and left-winger Scherhant were particularly active in promoting themselves. Yann Aurel Bisseck and Malick Thiaw are recommended as alternatives in central defense.

The midfield trio of Florian Wirtz, Bischof and Pavlovic also attracted positive attention. The latter once again stood out in Thessaloniki as a confident force of order in front of the back four for a long time. With Joshua Kimmich, the recently sparked debate could return in November as to whether the captain should be appointed. For the moment, this annoying topic from Klopp's point of view is on hold. The national coach dedicated himself to the positive parts of the first inventory. "I wanted to push something, I definitely saw that," he said and concluded: "The talent is flowing out of the boys' ears." Klopp has also already established this new perspective.

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