Die Mannschaft are now winless in four matches since their final World Cup group-stage game against Ecuador and have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven straight outings, dating back to a pre-World Cup friendly with the United States.
Originally tipped as favourites to top League A, Group 2, Germany now find themselves on course for the relegation playoffs, sitting third ahead of Klopp’s return to a stadium where he enjoyed memorable battles while manager of Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.
Already three points behind the Netherlands and a further two adrift of Greece, Germany cannot afford to drop points in their next outing, especially with the top two facing each other.
However, their record against Serbia suggests a tricky assignment could be on the cards, with the previous three meetings producing one win each and a draw.
Klopp made the unusual decision to name two separate squads of a combined 44 players for the international break, and Thursday’s fixture gives the second group a major opportunity to make an impact and get Germany’s Nations League campaign back on track.
Albeit further along in their transition, Serbia are still adjusting to life under new boss Veljko Paunovic, who is nearing his 10th game in charge since replacing long-serving manager Dragan Stojkovic at the end of his four-year reign in October 2025.
Paunovic has struggled to find consistency, with Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands marking his sixth loss in eight matches, and Serbia losing four games in a row for the first time in over 20 years to sit bottom of League A, Group 2.
While the 49-year-old’s job is safe for now, having previously managed Serbia at youth level, he will be well aware that results need to improve quickly.
Both of Orlovi’s Nations League defeats have come by a single goal, and while that could suggest a competitive edge, it has mainly been due to poor finishing by their opponents; Serbia have allowed eight big chances across two matches, four of which came in the second half of their most recent outing.
Thursday’s visitors have also been guilty of slow starts, conceding the opening goal in eight of their last 10 matches and trailing at half-time in seven of their last eight.
