Four days after the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, Germany’s manager changed five places in his starting eleven. Against Greece, Germany had about 80% of the ball in the first half, then struggled in the second. Dimitrios Kourbelis, on as a substitute, scored in the 74th minute. It is Klopp’s first defeat in the role, and Greece’s first win over Germany in eleven meetings.
Marcel read the number 44 in his weekly magazine, at the chip shop (the Belgian fry stand). He put down his fork.
Forty-four players. For one country. In one window. In 1980, you could recite a national side. We did recite it, actually, at the café. Eleven names, and the substitute everyone felt sorry for. Today you’d need a directory. I’m not criticising. I’m comparing. And the only goal of the match came from a player who wasn’t even on the pitch at kick-off. Well. It’s the times.
Klopp, for his part, is not worried. “We absolutely need these kinds of matches – they are exactly the games we wanted to have,” he told The Guardian. Joshua Kimmich added that the manager “has been very clear about what he wants – as players, we need to implement it.”
Germany are third in Group A2 with one point. They host Serbia before travelling to Greece on 4 October.
It’s true, we checked: The Guardian.
