Klopp suffers historic defeat to Greece in first home match as Germany coach

Germany's national football team suffered a historic home defeat to Greece on Sunday, losing 0:1 in what marked the first time the visitors had beaten Germany on German soil with this scoreline. Substitute Dimitris Kourbelis scored the only goal in the 74th minute, converting a deflected shot into the net.

It was Jürgen Klopp's first match in charge of Germany in front of his home supporters. Just days earlier, in his debut, his side had drawn 1:1 with the Netherlands. Compared to that lineup, Klopp made five changes to his starting eleven.

Possession without production

Germany dominated possession in the first half, controlling the ball 77% of the time, but created few genuinely dangerous chances. One of the best opportunities came in the 32nd minute, when Karim Adeyemi's shot was saved by Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. In the second half, Greece increasingly threatened the German goal until Kourbelis's decisive strike sealed the historic result for the visitors.

Klopp's response

Klopp acknowledged that the five changes to the starting lineup and the tactical setup were entirely his responsibility. He said he could have accepted a draw, but the loss was painful, adding that he did not believe his team deserved to lose, though it happened nonetheless. He noted that Greece had a clear game plan and that his players needed to become more confident in their approach.

Germany will next face Serbia in Munich on Thursday before meeting Greece again away from home. Klopp said he would continue making changes to the squad, aiming to learn from the defeat.