Greece secured a surprising 1-0 victory over Germany in a Nations League match on Sunday in Augsburg, with substitute Dimitrios Kourbelis scoring the decisive, deflected goal in the second half. The defeat marked a setback for Germany head coach Jurgen Klopp, who has yet to record a win since taking charge of the national team. Klopp, who made five changes to the lineup following a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday, expressed calm despite the result, emphasizing the importance of these matches for evaluating his squad. Although Germany dominated possession and saw an impressive debut from midfielder Bambase Conte, they struggled to generate clear scoring opportunities against Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis.
Meanwhile, in Hungary, Ireland defeated Israel 3-0 in a match overshadowed by political tension and controversy linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Irish players wore black armbands as a gesture of mourning, and the pre-match formalities were notably altered, with the teams forgoing the traditional exchange of handshakes and pennants before an almost empty stadium in Debrecen. This game, initially under threat of cancellation amid calls for Ireland to boycott, proceeded only after a player vote approved the fixture. Ireland’s strong public and team-level support for the Palestinian cause was evident, with several players visibly acknowledging the gesture during the match. Troy Parrott opened the scoring in the 14th minute, and Jack Moylan added a third goal shortly after, both making symbolic gestures in support of the armbands. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized the Irish players’ actions, stating they were “on the wrong side of history.”
In Norway, Portugal claimed a 2-1 victory over the hosts, with coach Jorge Jesus notably omitting Cristiano Ronaldo from the starting lineup in favor of Goncalo Ramos. Ramos seized the opportunity by scoring the winning goal early in the second half, capitalizing on a miscue from Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. Joao Felix had put Portugal ahead in the 17th minute, while Erling Haaland equalized for Norway shortly after halftime but missed several additional chances.
The Netherlands secured a narrow 2-1 win against Serbia in Belgrade, marking Xavi Hernandez’s first victory as the Dutch national team coach. Mexx Meerdink, who made his international debut against Germany earlier this month, scored twice, including a penalty in the first half and a decisive strike in the 69th minute. Serbia’s Luka Jovic briefly leveled the score just after halftime.
Denmark recorded a 2-0 home win over Wales in Group A4, bouncing back from a recent loss to Norway. Goals were aided by an own goal from Wales captain Ben Davies, who handled a free kick in the area, and a deflected finish by Gustav Isaksen. Denmark has now won their last four matches against Wales.
In League B, Austria continued their strong start with a 3-1 victory over Kosovo in Vienna. Goals came from David Affengruber, Junior Adamu, and Carney Chukwuemeka, securing Austria’s second consecutive win in the competition.