Germany secured its first win under new coach Jürgen Klopp with a 2-0 victory over Serbia in the UEFA Nations League. Klopp made a complete change to the starting lineup compared to the team that lost to Greece in their previous match, giving goalkeeper Jonas Urbig and winger Derry Schierhant their first international appearances from the start. Germany launched repeated attacks on the Serbian goal but had to wait until the 39th minute to open the scoring.
The scoring began when Florian Wirtz passed the ball to Tom Bischof, who scored his first goal with the first team in his second international match. After Nik Vollmer missed an easy chance from close range, Wirtz added the second goal an hour into play with a precise shot from the edge of the penalty area. The win was a relief for Klopp, who had been seeking a victory in his third attempt since returning to coaching.
Greece was on the verge of its third consecutive win but conceded a late equalizer at home against Netherlands. Fotis Ioannidis and Giorgos Masouras scored for the home team in the first half, but Virgil van Dijk reduced the deficit shortly after the hour mark. Netherlands continued to press for an equalizer, which came in the 89th minute through Teun Koopmeiners.
Portugal, playing its first match since Cristiano Ronaldo left the national team camp, secured a hard-fought 4-2 win in Denmark. The visitors took a two-goal lead in the first half through João Cancelo and Gonçalo Ramos, but Denmark drew level through Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Højlund. However, Portugal regained the lead through Vítinha and João Félix, securing a win that put them top of Group A4 with a perfect record of nine points from three matches.
In other matches, Wales earned its first points in the qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Norway, which finished with 10 men. Daniel James and Nico Williams scored for Wales, while Norway's Erling Braut Haaland was not in the squad. The match was notable for the return of Wales coach Rob Page, who had been sidelined due to illness.
The match between Ireland and Austria in League B was briefly interrupted by protestors throwing tennis balls onto the pitch in Dublin. The game resumed quickly, ending in a 2-2 draw that left Ireland and Austria level on points. Troy Parrott scored for Ireland but was not enough to secure a win.
The results leave Germany and Portugal in strong positions in their respective groups, while Netherlands and Greece remain in contention. The UEFA Nations League continues with more matches scheduled for the coming weeks.
Key points
- Germany earned its first win under coach Jürgen Klopp with a 2-0 victory over Serbia.
- Portugal secured a 4-2 win in Denmark despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Netherlands came from behind to draw 2-2 with Greece.
