Klopp endures first loss in charge of Germany

Germany slumped to its first defeat under Jurgen Klopp with Dimitris Kourbelis giving Greece a shock 1-0 away win in the Nations League on Sunday.

The Greek substitute scored with a deflected shot in the 74th minute, somewhat spoiling the mood in Augsburg, where Klopp was making his home debut as Germany coach.

It was Germany's first ever loss to Greece, the 2004 European champion.

"I could have lived with us not winning, but you cannot lose such a game," Klopp said. "We have been together for a week now, all mixed together, and that needs time.

"It's part of the process, absolutely. The lineup, the formation, the many changes — that is all 100 percent down to me."

Klopp oversaw a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in his first game in charge on Thursday.

His team dominated the first half against Greece with 77 percent possession according to Opta, albeit without creating many clear chances on goal.

Karim Adeyemi forced a fine save from Konstantinos Tzolakis in the 32nd minute, but the Greek goalkeeper otherwise had little to do.

The visitor became more ambitious in the second half, with Fotis Ioannidis missing a big chance, and defender Jonathan Tah preventing another, before Kourbelis stunned the home fans.

"To be honest, we simply didn't perform well enough," Tah said. "Of course, we're disappointed and angry when we lose a match, but the important thing is that we stick together. That won't change the euphoria around the new coach. If we don't play well and we lose, obviously not everyone is going to be happy, but we can make up for it in the next game."

Ronaldo on the bench

Cristiano Ronaldo had to be content with a place on the substitutes bench in a 2-1 away win for Portugal over Norway.

Ronaldo watched Joao Felix claim his second goal in as many games as Portugal opened the scoring in Oslo.

Felix took a touch to control Pedro Neto's cross before shooting low into the bottom corner in the 17th minute.

Erling Haaland missed a number of chances before he finally equalized in the 51st. It was the Norwegian star's 65th goal in 57 appearances for his country.

In an industrious performance, Goncalo Ramos, playing in Ronaldo's place, showed what he could do, scoring his 12th international goal in the 54th minute after intercepting a poor pass by Norway keeper Orjan Nyland.

Ramos thought he'd made it 3-1 before the hour mark after another Nyland mistake, only to have the goal ruled out for offside after a VAR check.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo was named among the Portugal substitutes for the first time since a Nations League game against Scotland in September 2024, and did not get onto the pitch, as new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus looks to manage his star's minutes over the extended international break.

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