Greece Stun Germany 1-0 As Klopp's Winless Start Continues

Jurgen Klopp’s second match as Germany head coach ended in a 1-0 home defeat to Greece in Augsburg, leaving the former Liverpool manager still waiting for his first win with the national team.

Greece stun Germany in Augsburg

Germany were beaten by Dimitrios Kourbelis’ 74th-minute goal, with the midfielder’s shot from the edge of the box deflecting in off Joshua Kimmich.

The result was a major setback for Klopp’s side in the Nations League, especially because Germany dominated but could not find a goal.

The hosts had a much-changed side for the match and brought on Florian Wirtz from the bench, but Greece held on for a victory that changed the shape of Nations League Group 2.

Greece returned to the top of Nations League Group 2 after the win, having also beaten Serbia on Thursday.

That position left Greece well-placed to reach the quarter-finals.

The victory carried wider significance because Greece are ranked 41st in the world and had never beaten Germany across their 10 previous meetings before Sunday evening.

Those earlier 10 meetings had produced seven Germany wins and three draws.

Germany, by contrast, are ranked 12th in the world.

By defeating Germany, Greece recorded their biggest win by world rankings since beating England at Wembley in 2024, when the Three Lions were ranked fourth.

Klopp’s winless start continues

Klopp had signed a four-year deal as Germany head coach, and his wait for a first win in the role continued with the defeat to Greece.

The Greece match was Klopp’s second game in charge after Germany’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday.

Klopp, 59, was appointed in July on a four-year deal.

He replaced Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned after Germany’s shock World Cup defeat by Paraguay in the last 32.

Germany are now winless in four matches since beating Ivory Coast in their second group game at this summer’s World Cup.

The home defeat came in Augsburg, where Klopp was preparing for his home debut in the dugout at the WWK Arena.

The result also followed a build-up in which Klopp had discussed goalkeeping criticism, selection plans, player availability and even the squad’s travel schedule.

Goalkeeper plan stayed in place despite Ter Stegen criticism

Before the Greece clash, Klopp expressed surprise at criticism of Marc-Andre ter Stegen following Germany’s 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.

GOAL.com reported that Klopp was baffled by the negative reaction to Ter Stegen’s recent performance for the national team.

Klopp defended the Ajax Amsterdam shot-stopper after scrutiny followed Thursday’s Nations League fixture against the Netherlands.

The Germany coach said he had been shocked to hear negative assessments of the goalkeeper’s contributions in that match.

Klopp also pointed to comments from opposing manager Xavi, saying the public perception did not match the reality on the pitch.

“I heard that Marc was being criticized: that surprised me after a game in which the opposing coach said he had saved our asses,” Klopp said.

“He made outstanding saves, but twice he played a ball that he didn’t want or should have played that way: it happens,” Klopp said.

“I’m not even slightly critical; I’m actually very happy with his performance,” Klopp said.

Despite that defence, Klopp confirmed before the Greece game that Germany would change goalkeepers for the upcoming clash.

Besiktas’ Alexander Nubel was set to receive his chance to impress.

Klopp clarified that Nubel’s selection was not a reaction to the Netherlands match.

The rotation was described as part of a broader strategy to evaluate the goalkeeping department during the international window.

That evaluation also included 28-year-old Finn Dahmen.

Klopp said the decision to start Nubel was merit-based and had already been decided.

“He has earned it. I hope he enjoys it and keeps a clean sheet,” Klopp said.

“Alex is still going to play, but not because of that,” the manager stated.

Germany’s squad was reshaped before kickoff

Germany had fitness concerns before facing Greece, with Klopp confirming that both Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz were unavailable for selection.

Musiala was sidelined with a muscle fiber tear.

Havertz, the Arsenal forward, was dealing with a strain.

Those absences forced Klopp to look toward newer call-ups.

Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Burkardt rejoined the fold to provide offensive reinforcement.

The source said Germany were looking to climb to the top of their Nations League group after Greece’s recent victory in Serbia.

Bavarian Football Works also reported before the match that Borussia Dortmund center-back Nico Schlotterbeck would not be part of Germany’s 23-man matchday squad for the UEFA Nations League meeting with Greece in Augsburg.

That report cited UEFA’s official squad list, as captured by @iMiaSanMia.

The Bavarian Football Works report was dated 2026-09-27T12:15:00+00:00.

Schlotterbeck had started and played the full 90 minutes in Germany’s 1-1 draw against the Netherlands on Thursday.

The report said the news was not altogether shocking because Schlotterbeck, along with Serge Gnabry, was set to stay with the German national team for all four games during the break.

It also said Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jonathan Burkardt were given extended duty to help cover for the injuries to Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal’s Kai Havertz.

The omission was described as likely just a break for Schlotterbeck.

The report added that Schlotterbeck could see more action later this week.

Inter Milan’s Yann Aurel Bisseck was expected to receive an opportunity alongside Bayern Munich’s Jonathan Tah in central defense.

That would give Bisseck another chance to impress the new Germany coach.

Klopp adjusted travel and warned of a stern test

In the build-up, Klopp also adjusted Germany’s travel schedule in an unusual move for the national team.

He opted to have the DFB stars travel by bus on the day of the match rather than the night before.

The logistical decision was made to maximize recovery time at Germany’s base in Herzogenaurach.

The source said the plan was intended to ensure the players were not burdened by repetitive packing and travel fatigue.

Klopp also expressed significant respect for Greece before the match.

He praised the Greek side’s current “golden generation”.

He also said he expected a stern test in Augsburg as Germany looked to build momentum under his leadership.

That warning was borne out by the result, as Greece secured their first win over Germany in 11 meetings and moved back to the top of the group.

Why the result matters

For Germany, the defeat deepened a difficult run because the team are now without a win in four matches since their victory over Ivory Coast at this summer’s World Cup.

It also left Klopp without a win after two matches as head coach, following the draw with the Netherlands and the home loss to Greece.

For Greece, the result added to their victory over Serbia on Thursday and strengthened their position in Nations League Group 2.

The scale of the achievement was underlined by the rankings context, with 41st-ranked Greece beating 12th-ranked Germany.

The win also stood out historically because Greece had gone 10 previous meetings against Germany without a victory.

The match was decided by a single deflected strike from Kourbelis, but its effect was broader for both teams’ Nations League campaigns.

Germany had the ball and pressure but not the goal, while Greece took the moment that came in the 74th minute.

The outcome left Greece on top of the group and left Klopp’s Germany still searching for the first win of his tenure.