David Raum In The Spotlight For Klopp's Germany

Jürgen Klopp's Germany reign has already entered the history books, but not in the way anyone around the national team would have wanted.

After two games, Klopp has collected just one point from a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands and a 0-1 defeat to Greece. According to Sport1, that makes his start the worst of any Germany head coach after his first two matches.

Now comes the chance to change the mood.

Germany faces Serbia in Munich tonight, and from an RB Leipzig perspective, there is particular interest in David Raum. The RB captain is expected to start, giving him an opportunity to make an impression on a new national-team coach who has already made it clear that places in his squad are up for grabs.

Raum is part of Klopp's second Germany squad for this international window. The coach initially selected 44 players across two groups for four Nations League matches, meaning the Leipzig full-back was not involved in the opening fixtures against the Netherlands and Greece.

That makes tonight important for Raum.

Klopp is building his own Germany team rather than simply inheriting the hierarchy of the previous regime. Every appearance is therefore another opportunity for players outside the established core to demonstrate that they belong in his plans.

For Raum, that opportunity comes at an interesting point in his Leipzig career.

The 28-year-old remains an important figure at Die Roten Bullen and wears the captain’s armband, but his position in the Germany setup has become less secure. Since the World Cup, the new Bayern star, Nathaniel Brown, has moved ahead of him in the national-team pecking order, leaving Raum with a point to prove under Klopp. A strong performance tonight could give the Leipzig captain the opportunity to challenge that hierarchy and remind the new coach of what he can offer.

A strong performance for Germany would therefore arrive at a useful moment.

Raum is not the only Leipzig player whose international opportunity has been affected this week. Brajan Gruda was originally selected alongside Raum and Ridle Baku, but the 22-year-old was forced to withdraw after suffering an abdominal muscle strain during Leipzig's defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. Gruda was substituted after 26 minutes and will now have to wait for another chance to make his Germany debut.

Gruda's absence is particularly frustrating for Klopp. He had been in good form and was one of the players RB had increasingly relied on in the attacking line.

Tonight, however, the focus shifts to Raum.

Germany desperately needs a result to prevent Klopp's difficult beginning from becoming even more uncomfortable. Raum, meanwhile, has something more personal to prove.

For Leipzig's captain, this is more than another international appearance.

It is an audition.