Opinions, analysis and commentary
Klopp must cut the crosses, start his creators, and win the ball back faster. Germany had 76% of the possession in Augsburg and 1.45 expected goals, yet lost 1-0 in Greece’s first win in this fixture. Five saves from Tzolakis and a block built to defend the box did the rest. The fixes are specific, and Sunday in Thessaloniki gives Klopp one chance to apply them. Greece had never beaten Germany before that night, so history favours him.
The rematch is on Sunday 4 October at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, kicking off at 21:45 local time (18:45 UTC). Klopp named 44 players in two squads for this window and kept only six from the first group, so Germany will look different from the Augsburg side. That turnover makes Sunday a test of a largely new group rather than a repeat of the first meeting.
Team news: Greece’s Christos Tzolis is listed out with a hamstring injury. For Germany, Kai Havertz, Nico Schlotterbeck and Brajan Gruda are listed out, while Jamal Musiala (thigh tear) missed the first meeting with no return date given. Both sides lose attacking options, though Germany loses more of them.
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Dimitris Kourbelis scored in the 74th minute at the WWK Arena in Augsburg on 27 September. Tzolis was involved in the build-up; Germany failed to clear it, and Kourbelis’s low shot deflected off Joshua Kimmich past Alexander Nübel. It was Greece’s first win over Germany; Germany had won seven and drawn three of the ten earlier meetings since 1960. It was a goal Germany would have expected to prevent.
| Stat | Germany | Greece |
| Shots | 16 | 8 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 1 |
| Expected goals | 1.45 | 0.68 |
| Possession | 76% | 24% |
| Pass accuracy | 91.6% | Not published |
| Corners | 8 | 2 |
Greece won it with a compact block: 33 clearances, 13 of them by Konstantinos Mavropanos, and five saves from goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. Greece had 24% of the ball and one shot on target. That is a lot of defending for a side that managed so little in attack.
Germany had 85 final-third entries and eight corners, yet only five of 16 shots were on target and Tzolakis saved all five. They out-created Greece on expected goals, 1.45 to 0.68, but could not convert. Crossing was the clearest failure: just 17% accuracy against a block built to defend the box. That mix of volume and low accuracy is what a deep defence invites.
Karim Adeyemi twice came close, and Kimmich’s free kick was saved in the 53rd minute. Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Burkardt and Serge Gnabry came on late, after Havertz and Musiala were ruled out. That late timing is the clearest lesson of the whole night.
First, cut the crosses and attack through the middle. Wirtz was the difference in the 2-0 win over Serbia on 1 October, which gave Klopp his first victory after the draw in the Netherlands and the loss to Greece. Second, start the creators, because Wirtz, Burkardt and Gnabry arrived only once Greece had settled. A packed box invites crosses and punishes them, so quick passes through the centre are the better way in.
Third, win the ball back quickly and shoot earlier. Greece had only 24% possession, so Germany should not give a settled block time to reset. Greece will also be weakened, because Tzolis, who helped create the winner, left the 2-2 draw with the Netherlands after 18 minutes. Shots from distance and quick restarts would test Tzolakis more often.
Greece lead Group A2 on 7 points (+2), ahead of the Netherlands on 5 (+1), Germany on 4 (+1) and Serbia on 0 (-4). A German win would level them with Greece on seven points, while a second Greek win would open a six-point gap. A draw would still leave Germany three points back.
Two matchdays remain after Sunday, and the league phase ends on 17 November. Klopp cannot afford a second defeat to the same opponent here. A draw keeps Germany in the race but hands Greece the initiative. That is the weight carried by the Greece vs Germany Nations League 2026 rematch.
Should Klopp start Wirtz, Burkardt and Gnabry together on Sunday? Tell us in the comments.
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Who won the first Germany vs Greece Nations League match?
Greece won 1-0 at the WWK Arena in Augsburg on 27 September. Dimitris Kourbelis scored the only goal in the 74th minute, with his low shot deflecting off Joshua Kimmich.
When is the Greece vs Germany game on Sunday in the Nations League?
Sunday 4 October at 21:45 Greek time (18:45 UTC). The match is at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, with Greece leading Group A2 on seven points.
Has Germany ever lost to Greece before?
No, Germany had never lost to Greece before this defeat. They had won seven and drawn three of ten meetings since 1960, so the 1-0 result in Augsburg was a first.
Who is injured for Germany against Greece?
Kai Havertz, Nico Schlotterbeck and Brajan Gruda are listed out. Musiala missed the first meeting with a thigh tear and has no announced return date, while Greece are without Christos Tzolis.
What is the Nations League Group A2 table?
Greece lead on 7 points, ahead of the Netherlands on 5, Germany on 4 and Serbia on 0. Greece has a goal difference of +2, one better than the Netherlands and Germany.
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