Greece Beat Germany for the First Time Ever, Hand Klopp His First Loss at Home

A first in eleven meetings

Greece beat Germany 1-0 in Augsburg in the UEFA Nations League, the first time Greece have ever beaten Germany in eleven meetings between the two nations. The result also handed Jurgen Klopp his first defeat in his home dugout debut as Germany's head coach.

Greece dominated large stretches of the game, holding roughly 80 percent possession in the first half, though the breakthrough did not come until later.

The goal

Dimitris Kourbelis, a 32-year-old midfielder who had come on as a 56th-minute substitute, scored the only goal of the match in the 74th minute, a deflected left-footed strike that beat goalkeeper Alexander Nubel.

Speaking to Alpha TV afterward, Kourbelis put the win in context: "A very big result against a really big force in world football. We fought hard and suffered on the pitch. We deserve to play big games and be in a big tournament."

Klopp stays philosophical

Klopp, in his first home match in charge of Germany, did not sound rattled by the result. "Personally, I'm completely unbothered by it," he said. "I've lost far more matches in my life than I would have liked. A loss is ultimately just a piece of information."

Where the group stands

The win puts Ivan Jovanovic's Greece top of Group A2 with six points from two matches, after they also beat Serbia 2-1 the previous Thursday. Germany sit third with just one point from two games, a rough start to Klopp's tenure in the dugout.

Both teams are back in action Thursday: Greece host the Netherlands, while Germany host Serbia in a match Klopp will need to win to steady his start in charge.