Germany arrive in Thessaloniki with a clear target and a short turnaround in mind. Greece are top of the group with 7 points from 3 matches, unbeaten in all three games, and they already beat Germany 1-0 in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign. They also came through a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands after leading by two goals, so this is not a side that has just been hanging on.

Greece's hold on the group

The table gives Greece some room to play their own game. They are first in the section on 7 points, while Germany sit on 4 after three matches.

That gap matters because it changes the tone of the rematch. Greece do not need to chase the contest from the first minute, and that should suit a team that has already shown they can manage long spells without losing control.

The other edge for Ivan Jovanovic's side is simple enough, they have already handled Germany once. The 1-0 win in the reverse fixture gives them a reference point, even if the return meeting is a different game in a different venue.

Germany's response under Klopp

For Jürgen Klopp, this trip is about getting an answer after that first loss. Speaking to SPORT1 in comments translated from German, he said: "The national team coach wants to get revenge in Greece for the defeat a week ago."

Germany have also looked more experimental than settled in this window. If Finn Dahmen starts, he would be the fourth different goalkeeper to start in as many games under Klopp, which says plenty about how fluid the setup still is.

Florian Wirtz remains the main attacking reference. He has 11 goals in 43 outings for Germany, and that record is one of the few stable parts of a rotating side. Nick Woltemade has 4 goals in 13 senior international appearances, so Germany do at least have a forward who can finish if the service is there.

Christos Tzolis was forced off injured against the Netherlands and may miss the match, which would matter to Greece if he is not available. Even so, Greece have already shown enough against strong opposition to suggest they can absorb that problem and stay competitive in the rematch.

The clean read is that Germany need a sharper performance than the one that produced the 1-0 defeat, while Greece can lean on the points gap and the first meeting when the teams meet again in Greece vs Germany.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →