Jurgen Klopp urges Germany to embrace "exceptional" quality after Nations League victory over Serbia

Jurgen Klopp has urged his Germany side to embrace their growing status as a European powerhouse following a dominant 3-1 victory over Serbia in the Nations League. The former Liverpool boss was full of praise for his team's tactical discipline and intensity as they moved a step closer to the quarter-finals.

Germany took a significant step toward the Nations League quarter-finals on Thursday night, comfortably dispatching Serbia 3:1 on the road. Reflecting on the dominant display, Klopp insisted that his players must start recognising their own potential as they continue to evolve under his leadership. The result leaves Germany in a strong position in their group, shifting the focus to a high-stakes final fixture in Berlin.

"The team played a really, really great game," Klopp told Sky Germany. "I think we have to get used to the fact that we are really good, that we can be really good. To be able to appreciate that correctly: of course we could score more goals today. But I just told the boys: 'I don't really care about that for the moment.' Because we can't say: 'We are starting processes and a development' - and then expect every time we look briefly: 'We must already be further ahead.' Even for ourselves, not just on the outside, for ourselves."

Klopp heaped praise on his side for navigating a hostile away environment unscathed, highlighting their composure as tensions boiled over. Despite facing a struggling Serbia outfit in a notoriously tricky fixture, the German tactician was delighted that his squad avoided any costly injury setbacks while dictating the tempo from start to finish.

"It was outstandingly good in so many moments today, so difficult for Serbia, who are certainly not in their best moment. And yet you can really hurt yourself in such games - we didn't at all. So many sequences looked wonderful. In possession we had solutions, were dominant. The counter-pressing was outstanding. Intensity top. So, from my side, a really, really good game," the strategist added.

The manager admitted his side lost their rhythm after the break following a sluggish second-half display, noting that his opponents came out with far greater aggression. While his players tried to pick up where they left off, the former Liverpool boss acknowledged that simply attempting to maintain the status quo proved difficult against a team forced to overhaul their approach. However, he was quick to praise Brajan Gruda for calmly stepping up to snuff out the opposition's brief resurgence before the match spiraled.

"They came out and were more aggressive. We lacked rhythm. Of course, you could tell we wanted to maintain a rhythm, but then a half doesn't help if you just want to continue as before. The others simply had to do everything differently. That's the easier task. But Brajan calmly extinguished that brief flare-up. And then the red cards came. It got a bit tougher. I'm glad we got out of that without any injuries. Simply a good evening," he revealed.

With eight points now secured in the group, Germany are in a strong position to advance as they prepare for a crucial meeting with the Netherlands in Berlin. The upcoming fixture is being viewed as a "final" by the squad, with a victory guaranteeing their place in the next round. Klopp highlighted the importance of showing the footballing world that the national team has successfully evolved and is now a force to be reckoned with once again.

"We are where we should be today. The first task is for the world out there to see: we can play. We wanted to qualify for this final in Berlin, and now we have that. We are here to show you all in the outside world: German football is doing well, it is in good hands, we have good players and we are stepping on the gas. And then we have games again and again and we want to show that we have learned, that we have developed together, and that was definitely there. But you never know beforehand whether it will also be visible in the game," Klopp concluded.