UEFA Nations League: Greece stun Germany 1-0 as Kourbelis strike leav…

Augsburg [Germany], September 28 (ANI): Greece stunned Germany 1-0 in their UEFA Nations League Group B encounter on Sunday (local time), claiming their first-ever head-to-head victory over the four-time world champions and leaving Jurgen Klopp without a win in his first two matches as Germany head coach. palladian.co.za

Dimitrios Kourbelis scored the decisive goal in the 74th minute as Greece punished Germany for failing to convert their dominance into goals, according to the website of UEFA Nations League.

Germany, ranked 12th in the FIFA rankings, made five changes to the side that drew with the Netherlands but endured a slow start in Augsburg. Debutant Bambase Conte came closest in the opening stages, sending an effort narrowly wide inside three minutes.

The hosts gradually took control and Karim Adeyemi emerged as their main attacking threat. The Barcelona forward broke into the box after half an hour but fired over before forcing a save with a powerful effort from outside the area.

Despite enjoying the majority of possession and creating the better openings, Germany were unable to find a breakthrough before the interval.

Klopp’s side continued to dominate after the restart but again lacked the cutting edge required to turn their pressure into a goal. Greece grew increasingly dangerous on the counter as Germany committed more players forward.

Christos Tzolis came close to breaking the deadlock in the 73rd minute when he raced down the right, but his attempted ball across the box failed to find a teammate.

Greece finally made their counter-attacking threat count a minute later.

Tzolis was again involved, this time driving down the left before his cutback took a deflection and fell to Kourbelis on the edge of the box. The Asteras Tripolis midfielder’s effort struck Germany captain Joshua Kimmich, changing its trajectory and leaving goalkeeper Alexander Nubel helpless.

Germany pushed forward in search of an equaliser but struggled to create a serious attacking threat in the closing stages. Greece held on comfortably to secure a historic victory and back-to-back wins in the competition.

The defeat leaves Klopp with plenty to address after Germany’s late goal conceded against the Netherlands denied him victory in his managerial return in the previous match.

Greece, meanwhile, moved to the top of their group after two successive victories and ended a run of four consecutive defeats against Germany.

Germany will next look to get their campaign back on track against Serbia, while Greece will aim to build on their historic win as they continue their Nations League campaign. (ANI)

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India captain Shreyas Iyer said torrential rain, limited practice and an awkward build-up will not be excuses when his side faces Afghanistan in the Asian Games quarter-final here on Monday, stressing that a professional team must be ready for any conditions.

Nagoya has been battered by relentless rain over the last two days, severely disrupting India’s preparations for the knockout stage. “We cannot cite the reason of rain because we are a bunch of professionals. Such hurdles keep coming and mentally we have to be prepared irrespective of what the situation is going to be,” Iyer said on Sunday.

“We got decent time for knocking and warm-up and we got some practice. Tomorrow we will try to adapt to the wicket quickly and see how the weather is,” he added.

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New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): Indian rifle shooters Rudrankksh Patil and Tilotamma Sen expressed happiness at their medal wins at the Asian Games 2026, with the former making clear his next target: Qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

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Rudrankksh and Tilotamma were among the medal winners at the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. With the shooting competition still ongoing, it has been one of the most successful sports for India at the competition so far, contributing 11 of 37 medals, including a gold, six silvers and four bronze medals.

Speaking to ANI, Rudrankksh said, “It is nice to see so many people around. The government supported my journey, along with my family. Shooting is one of the powerhouses for the country. The main goal is qualification for the Olympics next year. We wish all the best to everyone; hope you bring more golds (a message to the remaining contingent at the Asian Games)."

At the Asian Games, Rudrankksh captured a silver medal in men’s 10 m air rifle alongside Parth Mane and Himanshu Dhillon and in men’s 50 m rifle 3-position team event with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Niraj Kumar. He also captured a bronze medal in the men’s 10 air rifle individual event, making him one of the most successful stars of this edition of the Asian Games.

Prior to this, Rudrankksh had captured a gold medal in the men’s 10 m air rifle team event back in the 2022 edition at Hangzhou.

Tilotamma also said to ANI that she is glad to have come back with a medal during her debut Asian Games and dedicated her win to her parents and coach.

“I am very happy to be back with a medal. This is my first Asian Games, and I am grateful to have had this opportunity. I was very excited, and we knew we would come back with a medal. I want to dedicate this medal to my parents and coach. I will celebrate the win with my family back home," said the shooter.

Tilotamma won a silver medal with Ashi Chouksey and Vidarsha Vinod in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event. However, she could not achieve an individual medal.

Ashi, Tilotamma’s teammate in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions, said to ANI, “It feels great. It was a team effort, and we did really well. I am really happy we finished at the podium. My silver streak continues. A silver medal is really great, and we should be really proud of that. In the last few years, India has become a powerhouse in sports, and a lot of medals have come from shooting. It is a matter of pride for us that we are a part of this team."

Prior to this, Ashi had also secured silver medals in women’s 10 m air rifle and women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team events back in the 2022 edition.

Vidarsha also told ANI, “I am so happy that I have a medal at the Asian Games. This is my Asian Games debut. I was not expecting anything, just focused on giving my best. But now I have two medals, and I am so proud. I would like to dedicate this medal to my coach, Manoj sir."

Vidarsha also secured a silver medal in the women’s 10 m air rifle team with Elanevil Valarivan and Sonam Maskar. (ANI)

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