Germany fall to Greece as Netherlands, France and Italy win in Nations League

Jürgen Klopp’s Germany lost 1-0 at home to Greece on Sunday, leaving them without a win after two Nations League matches. The Netherlands, France and Italy all won their Matchday 2 fixtures, giving four prominent managers contrasting starts. Greece’s victory in Augsburg was its first over Germany in 11 meetings, according to UEFA.

The results describe an early position, rather than a settled trend. The Guardian reported that Germany stood third in its group after two games. France, under Zinédine Zidane, had won both of its matches 1-0; Xavi Hernández had recorded his first Netherlands victory; and Roberto Mancini’s Italy had recovered from an opening loss to Belgium. Each side still had further group fixtures ahead.

Greece’s breakthrough in Augsburg

Germany and Greece were level until just over 15 minutes remained. Substitute Dimitris Kourbelis then struck a deflected shot after a sustained spell of Greek pressure, UEFA reported. Germany’s clearest chance came earlier, when Karim Adeyemi tested goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis with a curling effort shortly after the half-hour mark. The 1-0 result extended Greece’s winning start in League A.

The defeat followed a draw with the Netherlands in Klopp’s first match as Germany head coach. After that opener, he said there was ‘still plenty of room for improvement’, according to the Guardian. Following the Greece game, he took responsibility for his choices: ‘The lineup, the formation, the many changes – that is all 100% down to me.’ Those comments address his decisions in this match; two results cannot establish how the rest of Germany’s campaign will unfold.

Meerdink gives Xavi his first win

The Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 in Belgrade on Sunday, with Mexx Meerdink scoring both Dutch goals on his first Oranje start, UEFA reported. The AZ Alkmaar forward converted a first-half penalty awarded after a foul on Crysencio Summerville. Substitute Luka Jović equalised for Serbia less than a minute after coming on at half-time, before Meerdink finished into the bottom corner for the winner.

The Guardian described that result as Xavi’s first win as Netherlands manager. It also reported a measured response from him to the performance: asked about missed attacking opportunities, he acknowledged that there were many moments when his side needed to attack space but did not. The victory therefore gave him a first result to build on without settling questions about how consistently the team used its chances to advance.

The Guardian listed group-leading Greece as the Netherlands’ next opponent on Thursday. That fixture was still ahead when the report was published. Greece had already beaten Germany, making the scheduled meeting a direct comparison between two sides that won on Sunday, though its result and effect on the standings remained unknown.

France win late in Brussels

France beat Belgium 1-0 in Brussels on Monday after Michael Olise scored with two minutes remaining. UEFA described a solo run from halfway before Olise finished. Earlier, Désiré Doué had hit the crossbar and Lucas Da Cunha the post for France; Belgium’s Dodi Lukébakio also went close. The late goal decided a match in which both teams had threatened.

For Zidane, it was a second straight 1-0 win after France’s opening victory in Türkiye, the Guardian reported. That gives France the strongest results record among these four managers after two matches. The narrow scores also define precisely what is known: France secured both wins, but the available results alone do not show whether it will maintain that form through the group.

Italy respond with four goals

Italy’s 4-1 win in Türkiye on Monday followed an opening defeat to Belgium. Alessandro Bastoni put Mancini’s side ahead early, Davide Frattesi added a second, and Michael Kayode scored on his Italy debut, according to UEFA. Barış Alper Yılmaz reduced Türkiye’s deficit early in the second half, but Pio Esposito headed in Italy’s fourth to restore the three-goal margin.

Kayode’s appearance carried a separate milestone: the Guardian reported that he became the first Brentford player to represent Italy. Mancini said the 22-year-old would improve further after another year in the Premier League. His assessment concerns Kayode’s development; the immediate match fact is that the defender scored in a convincing response to Italy’s defeat by Belgium.

Mancini returned to the Italy job after leaving the national team three years earlier for a contract in Saudi Arabia. The Guardian reported that he apologised for that departure following his reappointment. Italy’s next scheduled game was against France on Friday, according to the same report. It would bring together a side that had just scored four in Türkiye and a France team that had opened Zidane’s tenure with two narrow wins.