Liverpool star Florian Wirtz captained Germany as Jurgen Klopp's side drew 0-0 with Greece in the Nations League. German media have had their say on the 23-year-old's performance, with all agreeing it was a composed but so-so outing.
Klopp's first break with Germany ends
Iconic ex-Reds boss Klopp's first break with the Germany national team has come to an end. Over two years on from his emotional Anfield exit, the 59-year-old returned to the dugout for his country and his first squad selection made a splash. Klopp called up a total of 44 players across two Nations League group-game squads.
The first 22 played out a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands and lost 1-0 to Greece. The second group beat Serbia 2-0 before clashing with Greece again on Sunday evening. Yet Wirtz, who has come under intense scrutiny of late, featured in both after Jamal Musiala picked up an injury. He was surprisingly given the armband for the second half against Serbia, but Klopp named him captain from the start in Thessaloniki - a first for Wirtz.
Goalless in Thessaloniki
Despite being handed the privilege, the Liverpool star could not help his team find the back of the net as Germany drew 0-0, having a 32nd-minute Jonathan Burkardt goal ruled out by VAR for handball. But that does not mean the under-pressure Wirtz played badly, as German media were generally quite lenient in their evaluations.
For his exploits against a stubborn Greek defence, online publication Focus rated Wirtz a 3.0 on Germany's traditional academic grading scale, where a 1.0 is the highest score and a 6.0 is the lowest. It wrote: "A strong first half, followed by disappointment: the German national team had to settle for a 0-0 draw in Greece.
"In their fourth match under Jurgen Klopp, they lacked the necessary clinical finishing to secure more points in their final two weeks with the national team."
Wirtz's first good move came after seven minutes with a dribble and a shot. He had a header chance after 19 minutes and was agile, clever and effective defensively.
"He was less noticeable after the break. But the game was disjointed. He had a shot after 83 minutes. Not the same high performance as against Serbia, but not bad either."
Media ratings and reactions
The 23-year-old was also given a 3.0 by Sport1, which expressed admiration for how he carried himself as he started a match as Germany's skipper for the first time.
Its report reads: "No goals at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki! After their defeat in the first leg, the German national team could only manage a goalless draw in Greece and now faces an uphill battle to reach the Nations League quarter-finals.
"The German team, with four changes to the starting lineup, showed promising signs, particularly in the first half, before the game gradually lost momentum.
"This time, Wirtz captained the team from the start and truly led by example. He racked up numerous touches in the first half and was involved in a corresponding number of attacks.
"However, his performance was inconsistent. His spectacular header was unlucky. He had to shoulder a lot of responsibility, but the truly magical Wirtz performance never quite materialised."
Long-running sports television magazine Sportschau was another outlet on the same page and it too thought Wirtz was worthy of a 3.0 for his performance against Greece.
"Captain of the national team for the first time from the start and once again delivering some fine moments, such as his dribble before the first shot on goal in the eighth minute," it penned. "He played with enthusiasm, only occasionally making the wrong decision with the final pass. He remained industrious in the second half, but wasn't as noticeable, much like the entire German team.
"They have to accept the criticism that they had failed to score despite 76 per cent possession, 13 shots on goal to one and 23 to two attacks in the penalty area. After the break, their attacking play also lacked clarity."
