Jurgen Klopp suffered his first defeat as Germany manager as Greece secured a 1-0 victory in Augsburg, with Dimitrios Kourbelis scoring the only goal of the match, the result came in Klopp’s first game in charge on German soil, following a 1-1 draw away to the Netherlands on Thursday.
Germany Struggle To Create Chances
Klopp made several changes to his starting lineup as he continued to assess the players available to him. Hoffenheim midfielder Bambase Conte was one of the more surprising selections. He had made only four top-flight appearances before receiving his international call-up, but he made a bright start and shot narrowly wide after just two minutes.
Germany continued to control possession without creating many clear opportunities, Karim Adeyemi came closest in the first half when he broke away from the Greek defence on a counter-attack. However, the Barcelona forward sent his effort over the crossbar. Germany remained in control after the break, with Conte again threatening when he forced Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis into a low save. The hosts continued to dominate possession, but Greece began to look more dangerous when they attacked on the counter.
Greece Find The Breakthrough
Greece had their first major opportunity when Fotis Ioannidis found himself with only Alexander Nuebel to beat. He could not take advantage, sending his shot wide. The visitors eventually took the lead in the 74th minute. Kourbelis’ low effort took a deflection off Joshua Kimmich and changed direction before rolling into the bottom-left corner.
Germany pushed for an equaliser but could not find a way through before the final whistle. The victory was Greece’s first against Germany. Their previous meetings had produced seven German wins and three draws dating back to 1960.
Klopp Has Work To Do
The defeat highlights the challenge facing Klopp as he attempts to rebuild the German national team. The 59-year-old took charge in July after Germany were eliminated in the last 32 at the World Cup in North America. It was their third consecutive early exit from the tournament.
Klopp included 16 uncapped players in his 44-man squad as he looks to assess the depth available to him. The match against Greece gave several players another opportunity to make an impression, but Germany still need greater attacking threat. For Greece, the result was a historic victory against one of Europe’s traditional football powers.
