Florian Wirtz was on the receiving end of some harsh criticism from the German media after the Liverpool forward was unable to make an impact in a 1-0 loss to Greece
Florian Wirtz of Germany looks on
Florian Wirtz of Germany looks on(Image: Getty)
Germany suffered a 1-0 defeat to Greece in the Nations League during new manager Jürgen Klopp's first home match. And Liverpool forward Florian Wirtz, who featured for just 26 minutes, has faced harsh criticism from the domestic press for yet another "inconspicuous" performance.
A fresh chapter for the German national side commenced last week as Klopp, overseeing a team for the first time since departing Anfield more than two years ago, guided his side to a 1-1 stalemate with the Netherlands.
For the current international window, the iconic former Liverpool boss has selected 44 players for his maiden Germany squad, dividing them into two groups across the four fixtures. The less experienced of these faced Greece on Sunday evening and were painfully defeated despite controlling 76 per cent of possession.
Dimitrios Kourbelis netted the Nations League A2 encounter's solitary goal in the 74th minute, converting a pass from Arsenal's Christos Tzolis before his effort took a slight deflection off Joshua Kimmich and found the net. The 1-0 reverse represented Germany's maiden defeat to Greece at international level, with jeers echoing around Augsburg at the final whistle.
The German media has, largely, refrained from targeting Klopp as he settles into the position and utilises the break to evaluate a wider selection of players. However, Reds star Wirtz, who entered proceedings in the 65th minute, bore the brunt of some blunt criticism, as has been typical throughout much of this campaign.
Jurgen Klopp reacts during the defeat
Jurgen Klopp reacts during the defeat(Image: Getty)
BILD
"Klopp's second match brought the first setback: a 0-1 defeat against Greece in Augsburg, following the promising 1-1 draw in the Netherlands. With a completely revamped team that will never play together again, this can happen, but it shouldn't," it reported.
"Wirtz only came on late in the 0-1 defeat against Greece and couldn't make a difference. The 23-year-old remained largely inconspicuous. Wirtz is still far from his best form. But the fans are behind this fresh start. Klopp's decision to nominate so many players for his debut as national coach, to give everyone a chance to play, was the right one.
"It was clear he couldn't work miracles and that there would be some bumps along the way. There's much more potential there than we saw at the World Cup, especially if the players have had more than four training sessions with Klopp. And the fans sense that too, which is why they were so restrained with their booing."
Florian Wirtz failed to deliver once more
Florian Wirtz failed to deliver once more(Image: Getty)
Spox
Wirtz received a 4/10 rating from Spox for his second-half performance. The report states: "He replaced Conte in the 65th minute and remained ineffective from then on. Shortly before the end, he shot well over the bar.
"Germany had several good opportunities to avoid their first-ever defeat against Greece in front of 28,945 spectators. Overall, however, the four-time world champions' attacking play was extremely sluggish.
"Klopp, the driving force behind the team and his wildly mixed 'ball thieves' are still a long way from the frenetic, powerful style of the new national coach."
Sport1
Sport1 likewise awarded Wirtz a 4/10 for his display. It stated: "That was a complete disaster: In Klopp's first home game as Germany's national coach, the DFB team suffered their first-ever defeat against Greece.
"They offered absolutely nothing in the last half hour. Germany disappointed as a team. Wirtz came on for debutant Conte after just over an hour.
"However, he was unable to turn the game in Germany's favour. He fired the ball well over the Greek goal from a promising position in the 89th minute. He failed to initiate a single German attack."