Greece recorded a historic 1-0 victory over Germany in Augsburg on September 27, 2026, courtesy of Dimitris Kourbelis’s deflected strike. The result spoiled Jürgen Klopp’s home debut as Germany coach, capped a dismal start to his tenure, and lifted the visitors to the top of their Nations League group.
Dimitris Kourbelis Breaks the Deadlock in Augsburg
The decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute when Dimitris Kourbelis let fly with a low drive that took a crucial deflection off Germany captain Joshua Kimmich, leaving the home defense stranded. The 1-0 upset marked the first-ever victory for the Greeks in 11 all-time meetings against Germany. Despite controlling nearly 80 percent of possession in the opening half alone, the hosts failed to convert their territorial dominance into goals.
Germany struggled to unlock a disciplined opponent before the break, managing only a first-half effort from Karim Adeyemi alongside a Kimmich free-kick that Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis palmed over the crossbar. Felix Nmecha fired wide shortly after the restart, and substitute Fotis Ioannidis narrowly missed wide in the 66th minute after pouncing on a loose ball in Germany’s half. When Kourbelis finally struck, it sealed two consecutive victories for Greece following their late 2-1 win over Serbia.
Jürgen Klopp Faces Early Pressure After Winless Start
Taking over in July following an early World Cup exit, Jürgen Klopp finds himself winless through his first two matches on the German bench. The home defeat follows a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24. While Germany supporters voiced their frustration with boos at the final whistle, the coach defended his squad and took full ownership of the result.
“The line-up, the way the team was put together, and all the changes were 100 per cent my responsibility. That was my idea. It was clear that we weren’t going to completely tear apart a deep-sitting opponent. I could have easily lived with not winning the game by a big margin, but you can’t lose it.”
Jurgen Klopp, Germany coach
Klopp noted that his squad had been together for only a week and emphasized that developing tactical routines takes time. He also urged critics to focus their displeasure on him rather than the players, pointing out that younger squad members need room to grow while established names retain his full backing.
Bastian Schweinsteiger Criticizes the Squad’s Decline
The historic loss prompted severe scrutiny from former national team captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, who tore into the current generation during post-match analysis. Schweinsteiger argued that Germany no longer possesses the elite individual talent required to dictate matches at the highest level.
“We’re no longer a top team. We’re now just an average team. We no longer have players who make the difference. Even Greece have Karetsas, Tzolis, Pavlidis – for me those are players who make the difference.”
Bastian Schweinsteiger, former Germany captain
The blunt assessment highlights the mounting pressure on the coaching staff as the team sits third in Group A2 with just one point from two matches. Greece leads the group with a maximum of six points.
Group Standings and Upcoming Fixtures
Group A2 action also saw the Netherlands claim a 2-1 victory over Serbia thanks to a double strike from Mexx Meerdink on his second international appearance. That result gave the Dutch their first win under new coach Xavi Hernández, leaving Serbia further down the table.
Germany will attempt to halt their slide when they host Serbia on October 1 before traveling to face Greece away three days later. Klopp is expected to deploy a revised squad for those fixtures, drawing from a wider 44-player pool he split earlier in the month to evaluate emerging talent.