Jürgen Klopp earned his first win as Germany manager with a disciplined 2-0 victory over Serbia in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday while Portugal produced a convincing 4-2 win against Denmark despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Following a draw with the Netherlands and a shock loss to Greece, Klopp avoided becoming the first Germany coach to go winless in his opening three matches. Tom Bischof broke the deadlock in the 39th minute before Florian Wirtz doubled the lead in the second half, completing a dominant performance for the hosts. "This performance must now be our baseline" Klopp said.
In Copenhagen Portugal maintained a perfect record in Group A4 without 41-year-old Ronaldo who left the squad following a dispute with manager Jorge Jesus. Goals from João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix secured the 4-2 victory over Denmark.
Elsewhere the surprise Group A2 leaders Greece surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with the Netherlands as Tijjani Reijnders netted an 89th-minute equalizer. In Group A4, Wales defeated 10-man Norway 2-1 after Erling Haaland failed to score. Meanwhile Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Austria in Dublin was briefly interrupted by protestors throwing tennis balls onto the pitch over upcoming fixtures involving Israel.
