Klopp endures 1st loss as Greece beats Germany for the 1st time in Nations League

Germany slumped to its first defeat under Jürgen Klopp with Dimitris Kourbelis giving Greece a shock 1-0 away win in the Nations League on Sunday.

The Greek substitute scored with a deflected shot in the 74th minute, somewhat spoiling the mood in Augsburg where Klopp was making his home debut as Germany coach.

It was Greece's first-ever win over Germany.

Klopp oversaw a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in his first game in charge on Thursday.

His team dominated the first half against Greece with 77% possession according to Opta, albeit without creating many clear goal-chances.

Karim Adeyemi forced a fine save from Konstantinos Tzolakis in the 32nd minute but the Greek goalkeeper otherwise had little to do.

The visitors became more ambitious in the second half with Fotis Ioannidis missing a big chance, and Jonathan Tah preventing another, before Kourbelis stunned the home fans.

Cristiano Ronaldo had to be content with a place on the substitutes bench in a 2-1 away win for Portugal over Norway.

Ronaldo watched João Félix score his second goal in as many games as Portugal opened the scoring in Oslo.

Félix took a touch to control Pedro Neto’s cross before shooting low inside the corner in the 17th.

Erling Haaland missed chances to score before he finally equalized in the 51st. It was the Norwegian star’s 65th goal in 57 appearances for his country.

But Gonçalo Ramos – playing in Ronaldo’s place – scored three minutes later to restore Portugal’s lead after intercepting a poor pass by Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. Ramos thought he'd made it 3-1 before the hour mark after another mistake by Nyland only to have the goal ruled out for offside after a VAR check.

Denmark defeated Wales 2-0 for its first win in the other Group A4 game.

Mexx Meerdink scored twice as the Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 away, giving new coach Xavi Hernándeez his first win in charge.

The 23-year-old Meerdink, who plays for AZ Alkmaar, made his first start for his country and he opened the scoring with a confidently taken penalty in the 30th minute before canceling Luka Jović’s equalizer after the break with what proved to be the winner in the 69th.

It was set up by Ruben van Bommel, who has now created as many goals in as many games for the Dutch after his brilliant cross for Cody Gakpo’s late equalizer in the 1-1 draw with Germany.

Meerdink, who made his second appearance after his debut Friday, has two goals in as many games.

They gave the Netherlands its first win in Group A2, which Greece leads after two wins.

Ireland defeated Israel 3-0 in a contentious match in Debrecen, Hungary after bitter opposition in Ireland over Israel’s actions in Gaza.

First-half goals from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan gave the Irish their first win in Group B3.

Reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno decided Saturday to boycott both of Ireland’s games against Israel because of what he said was his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.”

The Irish players wore black armbands and refrained from handshakes with their opponents.

Austria beat Kosovo 3-1 in the other game earlier Sunday.

Also, Lithuania and Azerbaijan drew 1-1 in Group D2.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Norway's Erling Haaland reacts during a Nations League soccer match between between Norway and Portugal, in Oslo, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)

Players of Israel, right, and Ireland stand for the anthems before the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Ireland and Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Zsolt Czegledi/MTI via AP)

Greece's Manolis Saliakas, left, and Germany's Yann Bisseck fight for the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Germany and Greece in Augsburg, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Germany's coach Jurgen Klopp walks off the pitch after the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Germany and Greece in Augsburg, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Denmark's Rasmus Hoejlund and Wales' Daniel James, back to camera, embrace during a Nations League soccer match between Denmark and Wales, in Copenhagen, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Mexx Meerdink, of the Netherlands, misses during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between the Netherlands and Germany in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Netherlands' Mexx Meerdink scores the opening goal from the penalty spot past Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic during the Nations League soccer match between Serbia and the Netherlands in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Netherlands' Mexx Meerdink, 3rd left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Nations League soccer match between Serbia and the Netherlands in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Netherlands' Mexx Meerdink celebrates with' Crysencio Summerville, left, after scoring his side's second goal during the Nations League soccer match between Serbia and the Netherlands in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen spent all week telling his players that what mattered most was how they responded.

It would have been tough to imagine anything better than this.

Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes, including one on which Parker Washington made a fingertip catch in the end zone, and the Jaguars bounced back from their worst offensive performance in nearly a year to dominate New England 35-6 on Sunday.

“You get what you emphasize so much with this team," said Coen, who became the first NFL coach to win 15 of his first 20 games since Green Bay's Matt LaFleur in 2020.

The Jaguars (2-1) won their sixth consecutive regular-season home game and raised more questions about Drake Maye’s regression with the Patriots.

Maye fumbled twice, losing one, and threw two more interceptions before getting pulled in the fourth quarter. He now has one TD pass and six INTs in three games. He threw 31 touchdowns and eight picks last season for the AFC champion Patriots (1-2).

“I’m always going to be confident in myself to make plays," Maye said. "If there’s one thing, I’m going to go out there and compete. I’m going to leave it all out there. Competing comes with being confident and being confident in this league is realizing that these mistakes, you got to eliminate them.

"More that we get out of our own way, the more the confidence in myself and this team will build. That’s something that starts with practice and it starts with me.”

Maye’s performance in this one was more alarming than his three-interception fourth quarter in the season opener at Seattle. The ball slipped out of his right hand with no one around him during one play. He threw into coverage on a third-and-goal play, resulting in Travis Hunter’s first career interception. He also threw a pass directly to cornerback Jarrian Jones that set up another score for Jacksonville.

“I think he knows what to do," Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. "I think we have to do it better. We all want to make plays. We just have to make some good ones. If it’s not there, I think sometimes you can want it too badly, and we can’t force it.”

New England had other issues, too: Andy Borregales missed a 38-yard field goal; Kyle Williams mistakenly stepped out of bounds on a kickoff return; and Mack Hollins was flagged for taunting at the end of a 9-yard reception, turning a fourth-and-1 play into a field goal.

The Jaguars played much cleaner.

Lawrence completed 19 of 29 passes for 182 yards, with an interception on a tipped pass. He connected with Jakobi Meyers and Josh Cameron for TDs. Cameron got significant snaps in place of Brian Thomas Jr., who dropped two passes in last week’s 20-13 loss at Denver.

Meyers had seven receptions for 64 yards against his former team, and Bhayshul Tuten added 73 yards rushing and a touchdown — after Lawrence took a knee at the 1 to try to milk the clock with more than eight minutes left.

“We were just ready to play,” Lawrence said. “Guys were flying around. At the end of the day, that's what it's about. It's the players executing the plan. You got to have a good plan, and we did. But it's about us going out there and owning it, playing fast and executing. We did all those things today.”

Facing a first-and-30 play after back-to-back penalties, the Patriots dialed up some trickiness in Jacksonville territory. And it worked despite a lot of adversity.

Maye threw a backward pass to Efton Chism III, who had to elude Jones’ tackle near the sideline. Chism stayed on his feet and completed a pass to Mack Hollins that was tipped by cornerback Travis Hunter. It was far from pretty but resulted in a 16-yard gain that led to a field goal.

Jacksonville’s Cam Little just missed making a 70-yard field goal, which would have broken his NFL record. Little attempted the long kick at the end of the first half and pushed it just a couple feet right.

Little had the distance, which was no surprise considering he made a 70-yard in a preseason game against Pittsburgh in 2025. He set the real NFL mark later that year with a 68-yarder at Las Vegas in early November.

Patriots: RG Greg Van Roten left in the first half with a thigh injury and did not return. DT Christian Barmore (shoulder) and CB Carlton Davis III also missed snaps but returned.

Patriots: Play at Buffalo next Sunday.

Jaguars: Play at Cincinnati next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. (57) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) in the second half during an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) intercepts a pass intended for New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III (86) in the first half during an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Davon Hamilton (52) tackles New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) in the first half during an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) kneels against the New England Patriots in the second half during an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) passes against New England Patriots linebacker Elijah Ponder (91) in the second half during an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)