AUGSBURG, GERMANY — Jurgen Klopp tasted defeat for the first time as Germany manager on Sunday as his side lost 1-0 to Greece in Augsburg, with Dimitrios Kourbelis scoring the only goal to hand the visitors their first-ever win over Germany.
In his first game on home soil, Klopp’s side offered little in attack and lacked the energy they had displayed on the former Liverpool coach’s debut in a 1-1 away draw with the Netherlands on Thursday. The Germans struggled to find a way through the Greek defence for the opening hour before the visitors broke through on the counter, with Kourbelis scoring in the 74th minute.
It was Greece’s first win against Germany in their history, after seven defeats and three draws dating back to 1960. The result represents a significant setback for Klopp, who took over Germany in July after the four-time World Cup winners were eliminated at the last-32 stage of the global showpiece in North America, their third consecutive early exit from the tournament.
“I think the important thing is that we stand together and that won’t change,” Germany defender Jonathan Tah told ARD. “Of course, with the enthusiasm surrounding the new coach, things can get very hyped up from the outside, but ultimately, it comes down to what we do on the pitch and how we perform.”
Klopp had included 16 uncapped players in his 44-man squad as he warned that he would be using the competition to have a look at the players at his disposal. Among the five alterations to his starting XI was Hoffenheim forward Bambase Conte, a shock call-up after playing just four top-flight matches.
Conte looked sharp and shot just wide with two minutes gone. Barcelona forward Karim Adeyemi had the best chance of the opening half when he stormed past the Greek defence on the counter, but sprayed his shot just over the crossbar. Conte was again dangerous after the break, forcing a low fingertip save from Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis.
With Germany dominating possession but offering little in attack, the visitors grew bolder and more incisive on the counter and should have taken the lead when Fotis Ioannidis blasted wide of the goal with just Alexander Nuebel to beat. Greece broke through moments later, however, when Kourbelis’s low shot took a wicked deflection off Joshua Kimmich and rolled into the bottom left corner.
Greece then held firm for a breakthrough win over Germany. The result leaves Klopp with plenty of work to do as he seeks to rebuild the German national team and restore its standing in world football. The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund coach has been tasked with reviving a team that has underperformed in recent tournaments, and the defeat to Greece underlined the scale of the challenge ahead.
“Of course, we are disappointed with the result. But this is a process, and we are still learning. We have a lot of young players, and they need time to develop. We will continue to work hard and to improve,” Klopp said after the match.
Germany’s next fixture is against Serbia in the Nations League, where Klopp will be hoping to get his first win on home soil and to continue building his team for the challenges ahead. For now, the defeat to Greece is a reminder that the road back to the top will be long and difficult.
