Greece secured its first-ever victory over Germany on Sunday, defeating the European soccer powerhouse 1-0 in Augsburg to continue a perfect start to its UEFA Nations League campaign.
Dimitrios Kourbelis scored the decisive goal in the 74th minute at the WWK Arena, giving Greece a landmark result in the 11th meeting between the two national teams.
The victory was Greece’s second away win in four days following a 2-1 triumph over Serbia on September 24. Ivan Jovanovic’s team has now won its opening two matches in League A Group 2, strengthening its position with four games still to play.
Kourbelis scores Greece’s historic winner
Germany controlled significant stretches of the match and put Greece under pressure, but the visitors remained organized before finding their breakthrough in the second half.
Kourbelis, introduced from the bench, scored in the 74th minute to put Greece ahead.
The midfielder’s goal ultimately proved enough to secure a result Greece had never previously achieved against Germany.
According to the Hellenic Football Federation, the countries had met 10 times before Sunday’s match without a Greek victory. The win in Augsburg therefore ended a decades-long wait in one of the more difficult international matchups Greece has faced.
The result also came against a German team playing its first home match under Jürgen Klopp, adding another layer of international attention to Greece’s achievement.
Greece makes it two wins from two
Beyond its historical significance, the victory puts Greece in a strong early position in its Nations League group.
Greece began the campaign by defeating Serbia 2-1 away on September 24 before traveling to Germany three days later.
Six points from those two road matches have put Jovanovic’s side at the top of Group A2 after the opening two rounds.
The Nations League campaign, however, remains at an early stage. Greece still has four group matches to play, beginning with a home game against the Netherlands on October 1. Germany then travels to Greece for the return fixture on October 4.
Those matches will provide a clearer picture of the qualification race.
A landmark result for Greece
Greece’s victory carries particular weight because of its history against Germany.
The teams’ previous encounters included Germany’s 4-2 victory over Greece in the quarterfinals of Euro 2012. Greece had also faced West Germany before German reunification, but had never defeated the German national team in their recognized meetings.
Sunday’s result changed that record.
It also continues an encouraging start to the Nations League for a Greek national team seeking to establish itself among Europe’s top-tier sides.
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