Wirtz and Bischof strike as Germany overwhelm Serbia in Nations League

Germany turned the Allianz Arena into a classroom in controlled dominance, beating Serbia 2-0 in UEFA Nations League A Group 2 with a performance that left no room for doubt. The hosts hogged 74% of the ball, fired 32 shots to Serbia’s one, and accumulated 3.81 expected goals while restricting the visitors to 0.01. It was a victory that extended Germany’s positive head-to-head record – they have now won three of five meetings, with one draw and one defeat – and it was built on a suffocating structure that never allowed Serbia to breathe.

Julian Nagelsmann set his side up in a 4-4-2 that morphed into a relentless pressing machine. Serbia, in a 5-4-1 low block, meant five across the back, four midfielders sat tight in front of that line, and one forward looking for the counter. The plan was clear: absorb, frustrate, and strike on the break. It never materialised. Germany completed 675 passes at 91% accuracy, 404 of them in the opposition half, while Serbia managed only 188 at 71%. The first half was a siege: 75% possession, 16 shots, five on target, and 24 touches in the Serbian box. Serbia did not register a single attempt before the interval, their xG frozen at 0.00.

The breakthrough came in the 39th minute. Florian Wirtz, drifting between the lines, slipped a pass to Tom Bischof, who swept a left-footed finish into the net from inside the area. The chance carried an xG of 0.36, a reward for Germany’s patience against a packed defence. The second goal arrived just after the hour. Maximilian Mittelstädt, who had been a constant outlet on the left, cut the ball back for Wirtz to steer home with his right foot from close range. That effort registered 0.31 xG, and it effectively ended any flicker of Serbian resistance.

Serbia’s 5-4-1 squeezed the central lanes so tightly that even Germany’s most creative players found pockets hard to come by. Four German attackers were visibly affected by the lack of room. Derry-Scherhant, operating in congested areas, was dispossessed once but still completed 92% of his 54 touches, earning a 7.57 rating. Goalkeeper Jonas-Urbig, forced to play out under pressure, managed an 80% pass accuracy from 33 touches and a 6.97 rating. Maximilian Mittelstädt, despite being dispossessed twice, racked up 106 touches and a 91.7% pass accuracy, finishing with a 7.99 rating. And Florian Wirtz, the game’s standout, lost possession twice but still touched the ball 97 times, completed 94.9% of his passes, and posted an 8.86 rating.

The low block forced Germany to recycle possession endlessly, but they found ways through by overloading the flanks and using quick one-twos on the edge of the box. Serbia’s lone forward was isolated, and their midfield four rarely ventured forward, leaving the visitors with just three touches in the German box all night. The only Serbian shot on target arrived in the second half, a speculative effort that barely registered 0.01 xG.

While the system was the foundation, the individual quality of Wirtz and Bischof made the difference. Wirtz finished with a goal, 0.65 xG, and a hand in almost every dangerous move. Bischof’s strike came from 0.43 xG, a composed finish that settled any nerves. Yet the scoreline could have been more emphatic. Nick Woltemade, introduced as a substitute, generated 0.85 xG without finding the net, missing two big chances that would have added gloss. Aleksandar Pavlović chipped in with 0.21 xG from midfield, while Philipp Treu was a steady presence without registering a shot.

The contrast between Wirtz’s clinical edge and Woltemade’s profligacy summed up the night: Germany created seven big chances to Serbia’s one, and the 3.33 xG from open play underlined how thoroughly they unpicked the low block. Serbia’s only set-piece xG was 0.01, a testament to Germany’s defensive organisation. The hosts won 52 duels to Serbia’s 43, committed 10 fouls to the visitors’ 11, and kept a clean sheet without collecting a single yellow card. Serbia picked up two bookings as frustration crept in.

Germany’s 2-0 victory was a statement of intent in Group 2. The numbers – 32 shots, 8 on target, 12 corners, 43 touches in the opposition box – tell the story of a team that never let its opponent settle. Serbia’s 5-4-1 was designed to frustrate, but Germany’s movement, passing accuracy, and relentless pressure turned a potential stalemate into a routine win. The Allianz Arena crowd witnessed a masterclass in territorial control, and with Wirtz pulling the strings, Germany look well equipped to dominate the group.

FotMob, Goal.