Jürgen Klopp has finally broken his duck as Germany head coach. After a draw against the Netherlands and a defeat to Greece, his side beat Serbia 2-0 in the Nations League on Thursday, October 1. Next up for Die Mannschaft is a rematch with Greece on Sunday at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, and the German coach is well aware of the challenge that awaits.
Klopp spoke highly of Iván Jovanović’s squad ahead of the clash and also addressed the atmosphere his team can expect at Toumba. He said the Greeks have an excellent team, noting that their attacking players alone could play anywhere in the world, as indeed they do. He pointed out that Greece had shown that same quality in the first meeting, defending very deep, and admitted that Germany had failed to rise to the challenge. He added that Greece would most likely be playing in front of a packed stadium, that the atmosphere would be red-hot, and that this was the next test for his side in what he expected to be a highly intense match.
Turning to his team’s performance against Serbia, Klopp said he was satisfied with everything: the start, the middle, and the finish. He noted that Germany had come out of the gates with real energy and could have scored more goals from the balls they won back. The key, he explained, is having the courage to send players into the box, as they did on the opening goal, and he argued that his side can take risks and play with freedom when they win the ball back as a unit. He praised his players for their complete focus during pressing phases and highlighted the aggressive approach of his back line, which pushed high up the pitch.
Klopp described his team’s work without the ball as outstanding and said they played wonderful football in possession. He recalled having said before the match that his players would need mental strength to cope with frustration whenever a pass went astray, but concluded that when a team has that mindset and enjoys the process, the result can be exactly what everyone witnessed on Thursday.
