Match Preview
Both sides opened Week 3 with defeats, but Germany have dominated this matchup in recent years, winning the last three head-to-head meetings. Who will come out on top in Belgrade?
Iran Out of Final Tournament Contention
Iran will miss out on the Nations League final tournament once again after collecting just two victories from their opening nine matches, with their last appearance at this stage coming in 2022.
Following a 3-2 defeat to Belgium in mid-June, Iran suffered three more losses in Week 2 against France (3-2), the United States (3-0) and Japan (3-2).
Their four-match losing streak finally came to an end in the last June fixture with a 3-1 victory over bottom-placed Cuba. However, they were unable to build on that result, returning to losing ways with a 3-1 defeat to Ukraine yesterday.
Germany's Playoff Hopes Handing by a Thread
Germany’s chances of reaching the final tournament have been reduced to a minimum after claiming just four victories in nine rounds. They currently sit 10th in the standings with only three matches remaining.
Their Week 2 campaign was inconsistent, opening with a 3-2 defeat to Argentina before responding with a 3-1 victory over Belgium. The same pattern continued over the next two matches, losing 3-1 to Poland before bouncing back with a 3-1 win against China.
Germany’s playoff hopes suffered another major setback yesterday after a 3-1 defeat to Slovenia.