Germany's trip to Belgrade on Friday has become a decisive one. With only Matchday 5 left in the UEFA Nations League group stage, Germany is third in Group 2 of League A and needs a result against Serbia to keep its quarterfinal hopes alive.
The stakes are clear: if Germany fails to beat Serbia, its path to the last eight gets much harder. Serbia, meanwhile, has already dropped multiple group matches and is also under pressure, with demotion still a possibility if it does not win its next match.
Why Friday in Belgrade matters
Germany did beat Serbia 2–0 during the September-October break, with goals from Tom Bischof and Florian Wirtz, but this rematch carries a different kind of urgency. Germany won just one of its four matches during that stretch under Jürgen Klopp, so the margin for error has been thin throughout the campaign.
There is still one more group match to come next Monday against the Netherlands, but Germany cannot simply wait for that game to solve everything. It needs results to go its way now to stay in contention for the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals.
The Netherlands are still part of the equation as well after Germany's reverse fixture ended 1–1, with Cody Gakpo scoring a last-gasp equalizer. That result left Germany with work to do, and Friday's meeting in Belgrade is the latest test of whether it can handle the pressure.
How to watch Serbia vs. Germany
Viewers in the United States can watch on ViX and fuboTV. In Canada, the match is available through DAZN. In Mexico, the broadcast options are Tubi and izzi. Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch on Sky Sports and Amazon Prime Video for this match.
The game will be played at Rajko Mitić Stadium in Belgrade, adding another layer to an already high-stakes matchup. For Germany, the task is simple even if the path is not: win in Serbia, and keep the quarterfinal door open.
