Germany – Northern Ireland 3: 1 (1: 1)
The German national team has their second qualification game for the 2026 World Cup 3-1 (1: 1) against Northern Ireland decided for themselves. After defeats in three competitive games – most recently in the qualification game against Slovakia – the German footballers showed themselves a little stronger in Cologne, but only in the second half.
The team of coaches went through an early goal from Serge Gnabry (7th) Julian Nagelsmann First in the lead. With Isaac Price (34th) Northern Ireland still equalized in the first half. Many of the approximately 43,000 spectators in the Cologne arena with whistles at half time acknowledged this.
The German footballers owed the victory against Northern Ireland to a late increase in performance. Two consecutive goals from Nadiem Amiri (69th) and Florian Wirtz (72nd) finally led the German team to victory.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann took stock after the game: “We got the balance. Wow! That happens more often in football. The fans whistled. Wow! Is also important now how we react to it.” In the phase of Ireland’s equalizer, the German team showed “a much too slow game with the ball”, said Nagelsmann. In the end, however, “good change” would have arisen, and “the last 30 minutes it was back towards good”.
“We wanted to do it better”
Nagelsmann had 0: 2 against the Slovakia A few days ago a “relentless dealing” announced. It was the first time that the German national team had lost an away game in a World Cup qualification. Critics then questioned the form of the team.
Player David Raum admitted that the team was under pressure: “It was not easy after Thursday. We were disassembled by the media. There were no things wrong. It is completely normal and human that we were shocked for the goal.”
After the victory over Northern Ireland, midfielder Wirtz was careful: “We all know that the last game was a disaster. We wanted to do it better. We knew that we brought too little energy to the pitch. We did better. It was a good performance, we can build on that.”
New line -up for more emotions
Before the game against Northern Ireland, national coach Nagelsmann had radically rebuilt and exchanged almost half of the team. He took Waldemar Anton, Robin Koch, David Raum and Pascal Groß and Jamie Leweling in the starting eleven and tactically placed on a three-way instead of a chain of four. After the embarrassing Slovakia game, players needed “who fit the situation”, Nagelsmann said before the game. It is about emotions that everyone has to “light the next man”.
The third qualification game will take place on October 10th: In Sinsheim, the German team will play against Luxembourg. The second leg against Northern Ireland in Belfast follows three days later.
