Greece Beat Germany for First Time as Klopp Suffers Home Debut Defeat
Greece beat Germany 1-0 in Augsburg on Sunday, September 27, 2026, securing their first victory in the history of the fixture and leaving Jürgen Klopp without a win after his first two matches as Germany coach.
Dimitris Kourbelis scored the only goal in the 74th minute with a low deflected shot, giving Greece a historic victory in Nations League Group A2.
The win came in the teams’ 11th meeting after Greece had failed to beat Germany in the previous 10 encounters, according to Reuters’ match report.
Greece moved to the top of the group with six points from two matches, while Germany remained on one point after opening Klopp’s tenure with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
Greece beat Germany: How was the game decided?
Germany controlled possession for long periods and had close to 80% of the ball in the first half, but struggled to convert that dominance into goals.
The hosts found it difficult to create clear opportunities early in the match despite controlling possession before increasing the tempo after halftime.
In the 53rd minute, Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis tipped a Joshua Kimmich free kick over the crossbar.
Felix Nmecha then fired wide a minute later as Germany began to apply greater pressure.
German mistake gives Greece an opening
Despite Germany’s pressure, Greece found increasing space as the match progressed.
Kimmich lost possession in his own half in the 66th minute, allowing substitute Fotis Ioannidis to shoot narrowly wide.
Eight minutes later, Greece made their next opportunity count.
Kourbelis struck a low shot that took a deflection before finding the net, delivering Greece’s first-ever victory over Germany.
What did Klopp say after the defeat?
Klopp said after the match that he could have accepted Germany failing to win, but felt his team should not have lost a game of this kind.
The Germany coach noted that the squad had been together for only a week and said the process of building the team would take time.
He acknowledged that the result was disappointing but described it as part of the process at the start of a new era.
Klopp took over Germany in July following the national team’s early exit from the 2026 World Cup.
Klopp remains winless after two matches
Klopp began his Germany tenure with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Thursday, when Cody Gakpo scored a stoppage-time equalizer.
The Greece match was Klopp’s first home game in charge of Germany and ended with his first defeat as national-team coach.
Germany therefore have one draw and one defeat from his first two matches.
The result also underlined that possession alone was not enough against a Greek side that made more of its limited opportunities.
Why is Greece’s win historic?
Greece entered the match without a victory over Germany in their previous 10 meetings.
Kourbelis’ goal decided the 11th encounter and ended a winless run spanning several generations of both national teams.
The result also gave Greece a second consecutive Nations League victory after their 2-1 comeback win over Serbia in the opening round.
The perfect start left Greece top of the group with six points.
What does the result mean for the group?
Greece lead Nations League Group A2 with six points from two matches.
Germany have one point after their draw with the Netherlands and defeat by Greece.
In the group’s other match, the Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 as Mexx Meerdink scored twice.
The standings increase the pressure on Germany to collect their first victory quickly before the gap to their rivals grows further.
What comes next for Germany and Greece?
Germany host Serbia on Thursday before traveling to face Greece three days later.
Greece enter the next round with the strongest start in the group after two consecutive victories.
The return meeting will give Klopp an early chance to respond to the Augsburg defeat, while Greece will have an opportunity to show that the result was more than a one-game upset.
Portugal also win on a busy Nations League night
Elsewhere in the Nations League, Portugal beat Norway 2-1 despite Cristiano Ronaldo remaining on the bench throughout the match.
Profile News has been tracking Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 career goals as the Portugal captain enters another stage of his international career.
João Félix put Portugal ahead before Erling Haaland equalized for Norway, with Gonçalo Ramos later scoring the winning goal.
Conclusion
Germany’s defeat by Greece was more than another difficult result at the start of Jürgen Klopp’s tenure.
Greece’s 1-0 victory was their first in 11 meetings with Germany and gave them a perfect six points from their opening two Nations League matches.
Germany must now turn possession and control into greater attacking efficiency as two important fixtures approach and Klopp’s new era begins to take clearer shape.
Sources
- Reuters — Greece stun Germany 1-0 in losing home debut for Klopp
- Associated Press — Germany suffers first defeat under Jürgen Klopp as Greece earns historic Nations League win.
