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Germany win thanks to Bischof's first goal, Ito triumphs on penalties
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- Germany win thanks to Bischof's first goal, Ito triumphs on penalties
Germany win thanks to Bischof's first goal, Ito triumphs on penalties
Germany, captained by Serge Gnabry for the first time, met Serbia at Munich's Allianz Arena in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday night, while Hiroki Ito and Japan played their semi-final in the Kirin Cup. fcbayern.com rounds up the action:
Bischof's maiden goal sparks German win
A first senior international goal for Tom Bischof , a first senior international appearance for Jonas Urbig and a first international match as captain for Gnabry – three Bayern firsts were the right ingredients for Germany's first win under new coach Jürgen Klopp. The DFB-Elf beat Serbia 2-0 in Munich on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Nations League. Along with the aforementioned FCB trio, Aleksandar Pavlović was also included in the starting line-up and was at the heart of the play in central midfield. Lennart Karl was an unused substitute.
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In a one-sided encounter – with 32 attempts on goal for Germany and just one for Serbia – Bischof put the home side in front on 38 minutes, when he was in the right place to fire in the rebound from Florian Wirtz's shot against the post. "The stadium was on fire tonight," said the 21-year-old after his first senior goal in national colours. "It was just fun because we felt the support. Scoring in front of the South Stand is an incredible feeling. I hope for more of the same." Wirtz made it 2-0 in the 61st minute to seal the three points for Germany.
"It's important to get wins, they give you confidence," commented Gnabry after the final whistle. "We're going through a process. Every win helps to accelerate it." The 31-year-old wore the captain's armband in an international for the first time from the start. "The match was a very nice experience. To walk out as captain is something I'm very proud of – a wonderful feeling, and then capped off with the win. That makes the day even sweeter."
The opening win of the Klopp era moves Germany onto four points in third place in Group A2. They face Greece next in Thessaloniki on Sunday 4 October (20:45 CEST), where they'll be aiming to avenge the 1-0 loss to the Greeks a week ago.
Japan have reached the final of the Kirin Cup, thanks in part to Ito's strength of nerve. The Bayern defender and his team prevailed on penalties against Ecuador in the semi-final of the friendly tournament in Yokohama. Ito played the full match and also converted one of Japan's spot-kicks in the shootout, following a goalless 90 minutes. While the Samurai Blue scored all their penalties, Ecuador's Denil Castillo missed the decisive kick for the South Americans. Japan now meet New Zealand in the final at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Monday 5 October.
