Nations League | DFB team: Jürgen Klopp and the order of the future

Strong debut: Brajan Gruda (l.) impressed against Serbia with Petar Sukacev. Photo: imago/Marcel von Fehrn One of the special experiences as we get older, Jürgen Klopp recently said, is a certain calmness. "Basically, there isn't much that really upsets me." Instead, the national coach can enjoy a lot of things right now - and that has also included responsibility for the German national soccer team for almost a quarter of a year.

Now the 59-year-old got exactly what he had hoped for in these cool November days: the end of the year against the Netherlands in the last group game of the Nations League on Monday in Berlin's Olympic Stadium could preserve the upswing under his direction for months. After the convincing 3-1 away win on Friday evening in Belgrade against Serbia, the starting position is clear: with another success, the DFB selection would have reached the quarter-finals in March 2027 after the stuttering start - which would not only bring further experience, but also a better starting position for the European Championship qualification.

»We wanted this final in Berlin. Hopefully it will be a top game in front of a great backdrop," said Klopp in Belgrade. “Like Bolle, we are looking forward to the game against a very strong Dutch team.” The “Oranjes” would arrive pumped with self-confidence after a 7-0 win against Greece. But the national coach is convinced that his revamped German team will grow as a group when faced with such challenges.

As in the first leg, the German dominance was overwhelming against Serbia: Klopp's kickers pressed high and early, and the intensity was right from the first minute. The training sessions behind opaque tarpaulins in Franconia were apparently worth it. And unlike six weeks ago in Munich, this time the goal tally was also right. With Srdjan Babic's own goal after three minutes and Florian Wirtz's soulful goal eleven minutes later to make it 2-0, a one-sided game was decided early on.

Therefore, some deficiencies in the second half, including the 1:3 goal, should not become a major issue. Previously, debutant Brajan Gruda had provided the highlight of the uncomfortable evening with the third German goal in the 50th minute in the constant rain. Klopp's appreciation for the dribbler, who trained at FSV Mainz and is currently on loan from Brighton to RasenBallsport Leipzig, is enormous. "Brajan is an extraordinary talent, he has extraordinary abilities," praised the national coach, who doesn't want to limit the 22-year-old at all. »He can become even more variable, but I will do the devil and forbid him from dribbling. He can also work on his defensive transitions. But he’s a great boy and a wonderful footballer.”

Gruda's skills also came into their own because the balance in the midfield was right. Joshua Kimmich as a prudent organizer on the six, Aleksandar Pavlovic as a ball-safe stopper on the eight and Florian Wirtz as a creative spirit on the ten: This arrangement has a future. »It worked wonderfully, it worked great. If you protect each other, everyone can get involved until the end," analyzed the national coach. »We designed it very flexibly and well.«

Felix Nmecha and Tom Bischoff are not left out, but Klopp has no reason to tear his heart apart against the Netherlands. However, there is a change coming: Nico Schlotterbeck is likely to move into the starting line-up for Malick Thiaw. The Newcastle United defender didn't look entirely happy when conceding a goal in his tenth international match. Mistakes that didn't matter much against an opponent like Serbia who was ultimately decimated by two sending-offs. But the national team should hardly allow themselves to do so in the tough test against Holland so as not to dampen the national coach's good mood. Not that the man is getting unnecessarily upset.

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