In Augsburg, Germany’s new Jürgen Klopp era moves quickly from its first draw to a demanding Nations League test against Greece at the WWK Arena on Sunday. The hosts opened their 2026/27 campaign with a 1-1 result away to the Netherlands, while Greece arrived in Bavaria after winning 2-1 in Serbia.
Key takeaways
- Germany face Greece on 27 September 2026, with kick-off set for 15:45 Brasília time at the WWK Arena.
- Klopp has confirmed Alexander Nübel will start in goal for Germany.
- Jamal Musiala’s thigh injury has brought Florian Wirtz into the group earlier than planned.
- Kai Havertz has withdrawn through injury and Jonathan Burkardt has been called up in his place.
- Greece began the group with an away victory over Serbia under coach Ivan Jovanović.
Klopp gathers information from Dutch draw
The meeting with Greece is Germany’s second fixture under Klopp, who was encouraged by elements of the performance in Amsterdam. His side drew level with the Netherlands in their opening group match, a first examination of a squad assembled in two stages for the extended international window.
Klopp named 44 players across the period, selecting 24 for the opening two matches and reserving the remaining 20 for the later fixtures. The arrangement gives him a broad look at his options as Germany begin a competition that carries consequences beyond this autumn.
Reflecting on the Dutch match, Klopp said the staff had collected “a huge amount of information and insight”. He praised the team’s defensive work when operating together, saying Germany recovered possession well and created promising counter-attacking situations. There were also strong passages with the ball, although he accepted that they did not produce enough of them.
Injuries have already altered the plan. Musiala’s thigh problem meant Wirtz trained with the main group on Saturday ahead of schedule, while Havertz’s absence opened a place for Burkardt. Klopp’s declaration that Nübel will play in goal is another clear selection decision before Greece arrive.
The published Germany squad listing for the match build-up included Marc-André ter Stegen; Treu, Jonathan Tah, Nico Schlotterbeck and Brown; Nmecha, Joshua Kimmich and Amiri; Wirtz, Schade and Burkardt. Greece were listed with Tzolakis; Vagiannidis, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Retsos and Kostas Tsimikas; Karetsas, Kourbelis, Zafeiris and Tzolis; Douvikas and Kostoulas.
A longer Nations League window across Europe
English referee Chris Kavanagh will oversee the contest in Augsburg. Germany then return to Munich on Thursday to play Serbia, before completing this stretch away in Thessaloniki against Greece on 4 October.
This is the fifth edition of the UEFA Nations League, and the 2026/27 version has introduced a longer window spanning late September and early October. Its group phase runs until 17 November, with the strongest sides progressing to quarter-finals scheduled from 25 to 30 March 2027. The final tournament is due to take place in the week beginning 9 June 2027.
The competition also feeds into the wider international calendar: its outcomes affect routes towards Euro 2028 in England and the Republic of Ireland, as well as the European qualifying play-offs for the 2030 World Cup.
