Germany player ratings vs. Serbia: Gruda steals the show on dream debut

Germany won their crucial encounter in the Nations League against Serbia with 3-1.

Below are our player ratings for Jürgen Klopp's side on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible score.

Germany player ratings against Serbia:

GK: Marc-André ter Stegen – 8/10

Produced two important saves to keep Germany's comfortable lead - otherwise the game could've shifted. Held onto anything else that was directed his way and distribution was borderline flawless.

RB: Philipp Treu – 7/10 (until 74')

All in all, a solid night at right-back for the Freiburg man who did the basics well. Perhaps could have done more going forward, but he covered for Gruda and gave him the freedom to be creative.

CB: Jonathan Tah – 6/10

Solid performance, but nothing that stood out. Seemed somewhat slow in two counter-attacking instances.

CB: Malick Thiaw – 7/10

The Newcastle United man won the vast majority of his duels and maintained a strong pass completion rate. A great partner to Tah in this match.

LB: Maximilian Mittelstädt – 8/10

A couple of decent moments going forward and linked up well with Derry Scherhant on the left flank. Definitely went into the match with much confidence from his stellar performances for Stuttgart. At the moment, the preferred option over Nathaniel Brown and David Raum.

CDM: Aleksandar Pavlović – 8/10 (until 74')

Another great game from the man with Serbian roots. First Germany start as a CDM next to Bayern partner Kimmich. The duo worked well - but was that really a surprise? Great pre-assist for Germany's second goal.

CDM: Joshua Kimmich – 7/10 

Led his team into the rain battle of Belgrade with much confidence. Even scored a nice long shot, but it wasn't given due to an offside postion from teammate Havertz. 

RM: Brajan Gruda – 8.5/10 (until 86')

Another debutant under Klopp - and what a debut it was. Gruda proved why he deserved this start over Bayern star Lennart Karl. Really good in 1v1 duels, amazing solo goal just after halftime. A promising start to his National team career.

CAM: Florian Wirtz – 7/10 (until 81')

Managed to orchestrate a lot of neat give-and-go moves around the edge of the box to set up teammates. Didn't really get into shooting positions himself, apart from his rebound-goal. 

LM: Derry Scherhant – 6/10 

Really lively on the ball - but that was rare in comparison with his teammates. Made no mistakes, but almost seemed hidden throughout the game. Had a great moment to almost score in the 70th. Solid game.

ST: Kai Havertz – 7/10 (until 74')

Havertz continues to be the main man for Germany up-front. Doesn't need many chances, but always seems to be involved in goals in the end. Deciding header to get Germany in front after just two minutes. BUT, he should have scored the second (just before Wirtz cleaned up for him).

Substitutes: 

Ridle Baku – N/A (74')

Tom Bischof – N/A(74')

Niclas Füllkrug - N/A (74')

Felix Nmecha - N/A (81')

Said El Mala - N/A (86')

Germany's Man of the Match: Brajan Gruda (8.5/10)

What a way to announce yourself on the international stage! Brajan Gruda showed exactly why he deserved a place in the starting XI ahead of Bayern youngster Lennart Karl. The Leipzig winger was a constant threat, looked sharp in one-on-one situations and capped an impressive performance with a brilliant solo goal shortly after half-time. Unplayable at times. His confidence, directness and ability to take on defenders made him one of Germany's standout performers throughout the evening. A dream start to his international career and a Man of the Match-worthy display against Serbia.