No Wins, No Goals, No Excuses: Inside Klopp's First Two Games as Germany Coach
| The state of play | Detail |
|---|---|
| Record under Klopp | Played 4, won 1, drawn 2, lost 1 — five points, third in Group A2 |
| Results | Netherlands 1-1 Germany (24 Sept, Amsterdam); Germany 0-1 Greece (27 Sept, Augsburg); Germany 2-0 Serbia (1 Oct, Munich); Greece 0-0 Germany (4 Oct, Thessaloniki) |
| Goals | Three scored, two conceded — both goals against came in September |
| Selection | Five changes for Augsburg, including a debut for Bambase Conte; Kimmich left out of the next squad |
Next up: Germany beat Serbia 2-0 in Munich on 1 October 2026 - Tom Bischof reacting fastest to a Florian Wirtz rebound for his first senior goal, Wirtz finishing the second just after the hour - for Klopp's first win in charge, and a fourth point that leaves Germany third in Group A2, behind Greece and the Netherlands. The return came at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki on Sunday 4 October and finished 0-0 - Jonathan Burkardt had a goal ruled out for a handball in the build-up after a VAR review, and Germany's 21 shots produced nothing. That leaves Klopp's side third in Group A2 on five points, three behind Greece and the Netherlands, with one win, two draws and one defeat from his first four games and three goals scored. Germany go to Serbia on Friday 13 November (19:45 UTC) and then host the Netherlands on Monday 16 November. We update this page with both results.
Two games, two points dropped, one goal scored, three conceded places in the table. Jurgen Klopp's Germany drew 1-1 with the Netherlands in Amsterdam and then lost 1-0 at home to Greece in Augsburg, and the boos at full time in Bavaria were the first real sound of the Klopp era. We have read the quotes, the numbers and the squad list - here is what actually happened, and where it goes next.
What Klopp Actually Said
He did not hide. "It is part of the process. The line-up, the many changes, that is all 100 per cent on me," he told ARD. "I could have lived with not winning the game heavily today, or even not winning it at all. But you must not lose it. But we did anyway." On the longer term he was more bullish: "I would rather have a bad start than a bad ending. Everything will come together because that always happens when you do the right things." And when the criticism came for his players, he redirected it: "If you want to criticise someone, criticise me."
The Football Problem: Possession in the Wrong Places
The most damning quote of the night did not come from a pundit but from Germany's own goalkeeper. "We did not get a shot away inside the penalty area at all today," Alexander Nubel said. "We have a lot of possession in zones where we do not need it. The Greeks then counter two or three times and have two chances. The deflected shot then goes in." Captain Joshua Kimmich agreed: "Overall it was too static, not creative enough... for me, a 0-0 would have been fair." Germany had close to 80 per cent of the ball before half-time in Augsburg and one Adeyemi shot and a Kimmich free-kick to show for it.
Five Changes, One Week Together
After the Amsterdam draw Klopp rotated heavily: Nubel in goal for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Yann Aurel Bisseck and debutant Bambase Conte into the defence, Nadiem Amiri out. "We have been together for a week, we are facing a defensive opponent, we are a newly assembled team, then we need patterns," he explained. He picked the first 15 minutes of the second half as the night's positive: "Then we knew what the opponent were doing... but after that we did not do it any more. I do not yet know why."
The Verdict From the Old Guard
Bastian Schweinsteiger, a world champion in this shirt, was blunt on German television: "We're no longer a top team. We're now just an average team. We no longer have players who make the difference - even Greece have Karetsas, Tzolis, Pavlidis. For me those are players who make the difference." It is a harsh read of a squad that reached the Nations League semi-finals in 2024/25, but it is the read the current table supports: one point from six, third in the group, with Germany's captain left out of the coach's next squad as Klopp spreads minutes across a 44-man pool.
What Comes Next
Germany got the must-win: 2-0 over Serbia in Munich on 1 October, with a remade XI, debuts for Jonas Urbig and Derry Scherhant, a first senior goal for Tom Bischof and a Florian Wirtz finish. Now comes the harder half of the window - the return against Greece on 4 October, in the stadium where Greece have just held the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw. A win in Thessaloniki would put Klopp's project back on script. Anything else and the next international break starts with a very different set of headlines. Live tables are on our Nations League standings page.
It finished 0-0 in Thessaloniki on 4 October - Burkardt's goal was ruled out for a handball in the build-up and Germany's 21 shots produced nothing - so Klopp ends his first window on five points in third, with Serbia away on 13 November and the Netherlands at home three days later.
The 44-Man Pool Is the Real Story - and Its Cost
Klopp's most consequential decision this window was not a formation; it was the structure. He split a 44-player pool into two squads, which is why Joshua Kimmich - his captain in Augsburg - is already out of the second group and why a debutant started in a competitive fixture a week after the squad first met. That is a deliberate trade: exposure and long-term depth in exchange for immediate cohesion. September is the invoice. "We have been together for a week, we are facing a defensive opponent, we are a newly assembled team, then we need patterns," Klopp said - and his own goalkeeper supplied the data that stings most: no shots at all from inside the penalty area, and too much possession "in zones where we do not need it". Germany's problem in this window has not been a shortage of talent; it has been the absence of a tempo and an identity that survives contact with a team that sits deep. Two games against Serbia and Greece, both of whom will defend first, will tell us whether the patterns arrived in time or whether the experiment is now costing real points.
Our Read: This Is Still a Rack Worth Owning
Schweinsteiger can debate the talent level; the shirts do not care about a group table in September. A rebuild is exactly when a young Germany squad's jerseys are at their most interesting - Musiala in the home white, Wirtz beside him, and if you want the cheapest way into the squad this window, the long-sleeve Havertz replica at $49.90 and Musiala's navy away at $45.90. Five picks below, all in stock and dispatching during the international window.
By the Numbers
| Number | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matches | 4 — one win, two draws, one defeat, and boos at full time in Augsburg |
| Points | 5 from 12 available — Germany sit third in Group A2, two behind the leaders |
| Changes for Augsburg | 5 - Nubel, Bisseck and debutant Conte among them |
| Shots from inside the box v Greece | None, per goalkeeper Alexander Nubel |
What a Germany Shirt Costs
| Germany shirt | Why this one | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Jamal Musiala - home 2026 | The face of the rebuild | $85.99 |
| Florian Wirtz - home 2026 | The other No.10 | $85.99 |
| Joshua Kimmich - home 2026 | The captain's shirt | $85.99 |
| Kai Havertz - home 2026, long sleeve | Cheapest player print | $49.90 |
| Musiala - away 2026 (navy) | Lowest entry to this squad | $45.90 |
Shop Germany - Five Picks In Stock
Has Jurgen Klopp won a game as Germany coach?
No. Germany drew 1-1 with the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 24 September 2026 and lost 1-0 at home to Greece in Augsburg on 27 September. Klopp took over in July 2026 after Germany's early exit from the World Cup.
Why did Germany lose to Greece?
Germany had close to 80 per cent of first-half possession but created almost nothing inside the box. Dimitris Kourbelis' deflected 74th-minute strike won it for Greece, who had also beaten Serbia on Matchday 1. Goalkeeper Alexander Nubel said afterwards that Germany "did not get a shot away inside the penalty area at all".
Where are Germany in Nations League Group A2?
Third, with five points from four matches. The Netherlands and Greece both have eight, with the Netherlands top on goals scored, and Serbia are bottom on zero. Germany drew 0-0 in Greece on 4 October and beat Serbia 2-0 earlier in the window.
Who is left out of Germany's next squad?
Captain Joshua Kimmich was not part of the second squad Klopp named for this window, as the coach spreads minutes across a 44-player pool. Germany's next matches are in November: away to Serbia on 13 November and at home to the Netherlands on 16 November.
How many Germany jerseys does Pro Sports Kit stock?
Home and away 2026 shirts across player prints (Musiala, Wirtz, Kimmich, Havertz), replica cuts, long-sleeve versions and youth sizes - five picks are on this page, all in stock.
What is Germany's record under Jurgen Klopp?
Played four, won one, drawn two, lost one. Germany drew 1-1 in the Netherlands and lost 1-0 in Greece in September, then beat Serbia 2-0 and drew 0-0 in Greece on 4 October. That leaves them third in Group A2 on five points, two behind the leaders.
How many changes did Klopp make against Greece?
Five. Alexander Nubel came in for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Yann Aurel Bisseck and debutant Bambase Conte entered the defence, and Nadiem Amiri dropped out - a rotation Klopp said was "100 per cent on me".
When is Germany's next match?
Germany travel to Serbia on 13 November 2026 and host the Netherlands on 16 November. Both matter for a side on five points, two behind the Netherlands and Greece.
Sources & method: Klopp and player quotes from ARD's post-match interviews (via Goal.com), with match data and analysis cross-checked against UEFA's Matchday 2 round-up, Reuters (via The Straits Times) and Time News. Prices verified against live store inventory on 28 September 2026.
