Germany beat Portugal 2-1 in Nations League opener as Klopp claims first victory without Ronaldo
Klopp selected a completely new starting lineup from the side that lost to Greece.
Source: Straits Times Sport · October 2, 2026 at 3:02 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceKUALA LUMPUR, 2 OCTOBER 2026 —
Germany secured their first victory under new coach Jurgen Klopp with a 2-0 Nations League win over Serbia in Munich on Oct 1, while Portugal overcame the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo to beat Denmark 4-2 and maintain a perfect record in Group A4.
Market Impact
Klopp fielded an entirely new starting eleven from the side that lost to Greece, handing debuts to goalkeeper Jonas Urbig and winger Derry Scherhant. Germany dominated but required until the 39th minute to break through when Florian Wirtz set up Tom Bischof for his first senior international goal in his second cap.
After Nick Woltemade missed a clear chance at the back post, Wirtz added a second just past the hour with a composed finish from the edge of the box. The win came at Klopp's third attempt since returning to coaching.
Portugal, playing their first match since Ronaldo walked out on the squad and cast doubt on his international future, twice surrendered leads in Copenhagen before pulling away. Joao Cancelo and Goncalo Ramos scored for the visitors, but Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Hojlund levelled each time for Denmark.
Vitinha restored Portugal's advantage in the 67th minute and Joao Felix added a late fourth, giving Jorge Jesus's side nine points from three games and a six-point cushion atop the group.
Greece were denied a third consecutive win when the Netherlands rallied from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. Fotis Ioannidis and Georgios Masouras struck in the first half for the hosts, but Virgil van Dijk reduced the deficit just before the hour and Tijjani Reijnders equalised a minute from full time.
Wales claimed their first points of the campaign with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Norway, Dan James and Neco Williams providing the goals. In Dublin, Ireland's clash with Austria was briefly halted when tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch in protest at the Irish side's previous fixture against Israel. Play resumed and Troy Parrott scored twice, but Ireland settled for a 2-2 draw.
Their next match, a designated home game against Israel, will be played behind closed doors at a neutral venue in Serbia.