Wirtz Captains Germany for First Time in 0-0 Nations League Draw With Greece

Florian Wirtz led Germany for the first time in a scoreless UEFA Nations League draw with Greece in Thessaloniki and received a middle rating of 3 from German media.

Florian Wirtz captained Germany for the first time on Sunday, leading his country in a 0-0 UEFA Nations League draw against Greece. The match in Thessaloniki produced no goals, but it carried personal significance for the 23-year-old, who was wearing the armband for the national team for the first time. The appearance was his 48th for Germany.

Wirtz, who wears the number 7 shirt at Liverpool, had originally been scheduled to feature in only the final two of Germany's four fixtures during this international window. Injuries within the squad forced national coach Jurgen Klopp to revise those arrangements, and the playmaker ended up appearing in three of the four matches instead, capping a busier window than planned.

Handing the captaincy to Wirtz added another layer to the occasion. Klopp, who previously managed Liverpool before taking the Germany job, gave the armband to a player still in the early stage of his international career, a decision that placed considerable responsibility on the 23-year-old.

German media were largely in agreement about how the performance unfolded. Their shared view was that Wirtz started the game strongly before his influence diminished as it went on, and on the 1-to-6 grading scale used in Germany, where 1 is the strongest mark and 6 the weakest, he received a middle-of-the-range 3.

Focus praised his early contribution, describing him as "agile, clever and effective defensively," though the outlet observed that he became "less noticeable" after halftime. Its rating of 3 matched the overall consensus.

Stefan Kumberger of Sport1 wrote that Wirtz "truly led by example" while captaining his country and was central to Germany's attacking play during the first half. He still characterized the full performance as "inconsistent" and settled on a mark of 3.

Volker Schulte of Sportschau picked out "some fine moments" within an "industrious" display, yet he also noted that the midfielder's impact faded once the second half began. His review completed a consistent pattern across Germany's main outlets: a lively opening followed by a quieter finish.

The milestone arrived amid a difficult period at club level. Wirtz's performances in the opening weeks of the season for Liverpool have drawn criticism from commentators including Jamie Carragher, and he has faced broader scrutiny from parts of the English-language media. Although he was not the decisive figure against Greece, data from Sofascore underlined the attacking threat he carried even as his team failed to score.

Wirtz now has nearly a full week to recover before Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield next Sunday. That match is the first of nine games in 29 days for the club as the fixture list thickens now that the international window has concluded.