Jurgen Klopp will be eyeing his first win as the new Germany boss when they host Greece on Sunday night.

Greece will look to build on their Matchday 1 victory when they travel to face Germany, while the hosts will be determined to take control of the group and secure all three points after being held to a draw by the Netherlands.

The home team have entered a new era under the leadership of former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. He has announced two different squads for this international break but will have the same group for this fixture before the other bunch come in for the next two games.

Die Mannschaft started their Nations League campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. They were on the verge of securing all three points, but an injury-time strike from Cody Gakpo saved Xavi’s men. Klopp will hope his team can get the job done here; more importantly, they can put up a much improved performance and dominate the opposition.

Meanwhile, Greece fought hard and scripted an incredible comeback to secure all three points against Serbia in their first outing of the latest edition of the UEFA Nations League. After a run of five games without a win, Greece were pushed onto the back foot as Serbia scored within the first five minutes.

However, a late second-half strike by Christos Tzolis brought them back into the contest before substitute Anastasios Douvikas scored the winner in injury time. The 2004 Euro winners will look to build on the impressive start and put up a strong fight against giants Germany. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Germany

Jamal Musiala, who picked up a thigh injury during warm-up before the Netherlands game, was replaced by Nadiem Amiri in the starting XI. The Bayern Munich star has been ruled out of the remainder of the international break, and even Kai Havertz has joined him on the sidelines.

The Arsenal attacker is returning to London after picking up a muscular injury earlier in the week. Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Burkardt have been added to the first squad to help out Klopp.

Germany will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be in goal. Philipp Treu and Nathaniel Brown will feature as the full-backs, while Jonathan Tah will pair up  with Nico Schlotterbeck in the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Felix Nmecha and Joshua Kimmich will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will shield the backline and look to ensure they dominate the ball and control the tempo of the game.

Karim Adeyemi and Kevin Schade will feature on the flanks, while Florian Wirtz will take up the number ten role. The trio will look to cause problems for the opposition and create chances for Jonathan Burkardt, who will lead the line for Germany against Greece on Sunday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): ter Stegen; Treu, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Nmecha, Kimmich; Adeyemi, Wirtz, Schade; Burkhardt

Greece

Greece do not have any fresh injury concerns heading into this fixture, and they are likely to form a very similar XI to the one that started in their last outing against Serbia earlier this week.

The visitors are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Konstantinos Tzolakis starting between the sticks. Giorgos Vagiannidis and Kostas Tsimikas should feature as the full-backs, while Konstantinos Mavropanos is likely to partner Panagiotis Retsos in the heart of the defence.

In midfield, Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis are expected to occupy the wide areas, providing width and supporting the attack. Dimitrios Kourbelis and Christos Zafeiris should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo tasked with protecting the backline and ensuring Germany do not enjoy too much easy possession.

Up front, Anastasios Douvikas is likely to line up alongside Vangelis Pavlidis in the strike partnership. The two forwards will look to combine effectively and make the most of the limited chances that come their way.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Tzolakis; Vagiannidis, Mavropanos, Retsos, Tsimikas; Karetsas, Kourbelis, Zafeiris, Tzolis; Douvikas, Pavlidis

Key Stats

• Greece have failed to win any of their last ten games against Germany (D3 L7).
• Germany have not won any of their last three games, including their defeat at the hands of Paraguay that knocked them out of the World Cup.
• Greece’s comeback win over Serbia brought an end to their five-match winless run across competitions.
• Die Mannschaft have won their last five competitive matches at home.
• The last time Germany lost at home was back in June 2025, when Portugal and France defeated them in Nations League games.

Player to Watch

Karim Adeyemi

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Adeyemi did not have the desired impact in Germany’s last outing, but he will be eager to turn things around and stamp his authority when Die Mannschaft host Greece. The 24-year-old winger is certainly in fine form and will be hoping he can impress Klopp this time around.

Since joining Barcelona in the summer, he has been involved in eight games across competitions. Adeyemi has been more of a rotational option and has only racked up just over 300 minutes. However, he has three goals and three assists to his name. He is high on confidence and in great form. As a result, stopping him and his pacy outlet won’t be easy for the Greek defenders.

Prediction

Germany 2-0 Greece

Germany will have the advantage of playing at home and should be determined to secure their first win under Jurgen Klopp. They were close to beating the Netherlands in their opening Nations League game, and Klopp will be hoping his players put in a more convincing performance this time around.

Greece will be high on confidence after their dramatic comeback against Serbia and will aim to make life difficult for the hosts. They have enough quality to threaten Germany on the counter, but keeping Die Mannschaft quiet for 90 minutes will be a difficult task. The home side should control most of the game and have enough quality to secure all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a comfortable 2-0 win for Klopp and his charges.