Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich was one of the more experienced players on the pitch for Germany in the 1-0 defeat to Greece, but the captain was also directly involved in two of the more frustrating moments of the match.
Kimmich admitted that his own performance left plenty of room for improvement after he gave the ball away in the second half, leading to a major opportunity for Greece, before later seeing Dimitrios Kourbelis’ shot take an unfortunate deflection off him and beat Alexander Nübel.
The goal in the 74th minute ultimately handed Greece its first-ever victory over Germany.
Rather than avoiding responsibility, Kimmich openly acknowledged the mistakes and assessed his performance honestly after the final whistle.
“It doesn’t feel good after the deflected shot that led to the goal. And before that, I gave the ball away, which led to a big chance for them. I tried to give the guys a good feeling and help them. But there’s definitely room for improvement,” Kimmich told Kerry Hau (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
That self-assessment fits the broader feeling around Germany’s performance. Jürgen Klopp made five changes to the lineup from the draw against the Netherlands, and Germany controlled significant portions of the match but struggled to turn possession into enough clear-cut chances. Kimmich himself came close with a free kick early in the second half, but Germany ultimately could not find an equalizer.
For Kimmich, the defeat was therefore a frustrating night on an individual level as well as for the team. As Germany’s captain and one of its most experienced players, his willingness to acknowledge his mistakes will be important as Klopp continues to build his new-look national team.
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