Germany bounced back strongly in Cologne, defeating Northern Ireland 3-1 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier to snap a frustrating four-game winless run.
Julian Nagelsmann&rsquo;s reshuffled side struck early when Serge Gnabry latched onto Nick Woltemade&rsquo;s pass and coolly chipped past Bailey Peacock-Farrell in the 7th minute. But Northern Ireland, buoyed by their opening victory, clawed level in the 34th minute as Isaac Price volleyed home from a Justin Devenny corner.
The equalizer unsettled the home side, with Germany heading into halftime to jeers from the crowd. Peacock-Farrell then denied Pascal Gross and David Raum after the restart, keeping Northern Ireland in the contest.
The breakthrough came with Nagelsmann&rsquo;s substitutions. Nadiem Amiri, introduced on the hour, tapped into an empty net in the 69th minute for his maiden international goal. Just three minutes later, Florian Wirtz produced a moment of magic, curling a sublime free kick into the top corner to seal victory.
Northern Ireland pushed forward late on, but Germany held firm to collect three crucial points. The result restored belief in Nagelsmann&rsquo;s project after last week&rsquo;s defeat to Slovakia.
Reflecting on the win, Nagelsmann admitted: &ldquo;We started well and took a deserved lead. Conceding the equalizer unsettled us, the mood dropped. In the last 30 minutes you saw our true face again, before that, it was shaky.&rdquo;
Germany now turn their focus to Luxembourg on October 10 in Sinsheim, while Northern Ireland host Slovakia in Belfast.

Nagelsmann’s men end winless run as Amiri and Wirtz lift Germany past Northern Ireland

Germany Back on Track with 3-1 Win

Nagelsmann’s men end winless run as Amiri and Wirtz lift Germany past Northern Ireland

September 8, 2025 | 11:22 IST