Germany secured a 3-1 victory against Serbia in Belgrade on Friday putting qualification for the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals back in their own hands under manager Jürgen Klopp.

Heavy Rain and Sparse Crowds Set the Scene

Heavy rain slowed the pitch, while UEFA ordered Serbia to play behind closed doors following fan misconduct in prior matches. Only a handful of visiting supporters and 5,000 children under the age of 15 attended the game at the Stadion Rajko Mitić, according to sportschau.de.

Die WELT noted that the sparse crowd created a bizarre backdrop for an aggressive tactical display. Despite the slippery pitch and steady downpour, Germany dominated early possession and kept the hosts pinned deep in their own half.

Germany Takes Early Lead Through Own Goal and Wirtz

Germany broke the deadlock in the third minute when a Maximilian Mittelstädt corner found Kai Havertz, whose header struck Srdjan Babic and bounced into the net as an own goal, as reported by BILD.

Florian Wirtz doubled the lead in the 14th minute. After Vanja Milinković-Savić blocked an initial shot from Havertz following a turnover, Wirtz pounced on the rebound, chipped the goalkeeper, and poked the ball across the line before Babic could clear it.

“Wir sind weit, aber einfach auf dem Weg. Wahrscheinlich hätten wir mehr Tore schießen müssen, aber das ist egal,” Jürgen Klopp said, according to sportschau.de. “Jetzt haben wir unser Endspiel in Berlin gegen eine bärenstarke niederländische Mannschaft – darauf freue ich mich wie Bolle.”

Debutant Gruda Extends the Lead

Germany maintained roughly 80 percent possession through the opening half-hour while registering a 95 percent passing accuracy. Jonathan Tah missed a chance to make it three before halftime, sending a free header wide from eight yards out.

Shortly after the interval, debutant Brajan Gruda scored Germany’s third goal in the 50th minute after embarking on a solo run from his own half, slotting a low shot past Milinković-Savić. “Ich hatte gehofft, dass ich spiele – jetzt haben wir gewonnen, gut gespielt und ich habe getroffen, das macht es noch schöner,” Brajan Gruda told sportschau.de.

Serbia Scores Once Before Receiving a Red Card

Serbia clawed a goal back in the 56th minute when Stefan Mitrović headed toward goal and Babic reacted quickest after a hesitant clearance from Marc-André ter Stegen. The hosts nearly added a second soon after through Mihajlo Cvetković, but failed to convert.

As tempers flared late in the match, refereeing intervention reduced Serbia to ten men when Vanja Dragojevic received a straight red card in the 75th minute for a foul on Joshua Kimmich.

Quarterfinal Stakes in Berlin

Because the Netherlands defeated Greece 7-0 in the concurrent fixture, Germany controls its path to the knockout rounds. A victory against the Netherlands on Monday at the Olympiastadion in Berlin guarantees a quarterfinal berth in March 2027, according to Die WELT.