Jürgen Klopp’s first home match in charge of Germany ended in a historic defeat as Greece won 1–0 in Augsburg. Germany had never previously lost to Greece. Dimitrios Kourbelis, a forward for Sporting Lisbon, scored the only goal in the 74th minute; his shot deflected off Germany captain Joshua Kimmich and left goalkeeper Alexander Nübel unable to stop it. The sold-out stadium had 28,945 spectators.
Germany struggled to break through Greece’s deep defensive block. Kimmich moved the ball constantly, but openings were scarce. Kevin Schade drove forward on a counterattack before slowing down. After Karim Adeyemi replaced him and shifted to the left wing, Germany looked more threatening: Adeyemi shot over after a solo run in the 27th minute, and Greece goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis had saved his powerful long-range effort in the 32nd. Nübel, making his fourth international appearance, was rarely called into action before halftime, while new defenders Yann Aurel Bisseck and Josha Vagnoman were described as steady.
Bambasé Conté made his first start for Germany. The 23-year-old Hoffenheim midfielder told ARD before kickoff that he was eager to play and registered Germany’s first shot on target in the second minute. Greece, which had begun its Nations League campaign with a 2–1 win over Serbia, threatened early through Borussia Dortmund’s Konstantinos Karetsas. After the break, Conté shot following a turnover in the 50th minute, and Tzolakis turned a Kimmich free kick behind for a corner in the 53rd. Germany built pressure but made little of its set pieces.
At 65 minutes, Klopp introduced Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Burkardt, called up from the second squad after injuries to Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz. Two minutes later, Kimmich lost possession in Germany’s half, but Fotis Ioannidis missed the chance and shot wide. The match grew increasingly disjointed; Germany lost its shape and could not find coordinated solutions, while Greece pressed and eventually scored. Germany had one point and sat third in Group 2 after two Nations League games, five points behind leaders Greece. Klopp’s enlarged squad included new international call-ups Said El Mala, Mika Baur, Vitaly Janelt and Felix Keidel. Germany’s next fixtures were Serbia in Munich on Thursday and Greece in Thessaloniki three days later. The Augsburg match also marked the return of standing sections at a German international for the first time in 25 years.