Wolfsburg was meant to offer Germany a firmer first step under Jürgen Klopp, but Greece instead left the Volkswagen Arena with a 1-0 victory that has unsettled the new national-team era almost immediately. The result was Greece’s first ever win against Germany and leaves the Mannschaft with only one point from Klopp’s opening two Nations League matches.
Germany had begun the new coach’s tenure with a draw away to the Netherlands, yet the home defeat has made their route through the competition considerably more difficult. In the dressing-room aftermath, the senior players did not look to place responsibility on Klopp, insisting that the squad must adapt more quickly to his demands.
Captain Joshua Kimmich said Germany need improvement across the board and must gain a better understanding of their new manager. “Klopp is very clear about what he expects from us,” the Bayern Munich midfielder said. “It is up to us to take a step forward.”
Kimmich accepted that Germany’s performance lacked movement and imagination. He felt a draw would have better reflected the contest, while describing the decisive Greek goal as unfortunate because it came from a deflection. Still, he made clear that the display had fallen short.
Jonathan Tah delivered an equally blunt assessment after the final whistle. The defender said Germany had not done enough against a Greece side that did not press aggressively, leaving the hosts to dominate possession without turning it into sustained danger.
“We should not lack the courage to play our own game,” Tah said. “We did not make space, we did not threaten their box, we did not try enough from distance and we did not deliver enough crosses into the area.”
The early numbers are uncomfortable for Germany: one point from two Nations League fixtures, following the Netherlands draw and the historic reverse in Wolfsburg. Klopp’s players have publicly backed their new coach, but they also know that the response must arrive quickly if this new chapter is not to become difficult before it has properly begun.
