Billionaires

Germany Rebound To Beat Northern Ireland 3-1


Germany has rebounded from its horrendous 2-0 defeat to Slovakia on Thursday. On Sunday, Die Nationalmannschaft beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in front of 43,169 spectators at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Köln. The goalscorers for the Germans were Serge Gnabry (7’), Nadiem Amiri (69’), and Florian Wirtz (72’).

Like against Slovakia, Germany had some difficulties, and Northern Ireland had them on their back feet after Isaac Price’s equalizer (34’) in the first half. Indeed, following the equalizer, Germany lost control over the game, and boos accompanied the team into the dressing room.

“We have to show understanding for the fans,” Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann said after the game. A ticket like that costs money, and they want to see a different kind of football. I can understand that.”

Then Nagelsmann jokingly added: “I almost booed in the dressing room on Thursday. That’s just how it is sometimes.” Although Nagelsmann was understanding, he also pointed out that the reaction by the fans wasn’t necessarily helpful.

“Nevertheless, I can also say that boos like that don’t really help you move forward,” Nagelsmann said. “I think if we do everything together, things usually work much better. But of course, I still understand if someone is unhappy.”

In defense of the fans, their reaction was understandable given the performance of the national team over the last six games. The historic defeat to Slovakia meant that Germany has recorded just one win over the last six games going into Sunday night’s matchup against Northern Ireland.

Overall, the months since the two defeats at the UEFA Nations League finals in Munich and Stuttgart, where Germany lost to Portugal (2-1) and France (2-0), feel like a step back to the pre-Nagelsmann era. The team has played slow, static, devoid of any ideas.

Those old patterns can be partly blamed on key players like Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gündogan retiring, as well as Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala being out with injuries. However, some of the old negative patterns reemerging can also be attributed to Nagelsmann.

Tactically, the setup against Slovakia was a disaster. Ahead of Euro 2024, Nagelsmann made the drastic step to axe certain key players from the squad. The Bundestrainer prioritized squad building over trying to shoehorn big personalities into the team.

Since the tournament, perhaps as a response to key players retiring, Nagelsmann has somewhat lost that path. Although a fine footballer, Leon Goretzka’s return to the national team has coincided with a significant drop in form. Nagelsmann is now the latest Bundestrainer to unsuccessfully attempt to integrate the Bayern midfielder.

The other surprise inclusion has been Serge Gnabry. Although he has been in fine form and scored against Northern Ireland, the Bayern forward has been extremely inconsistent and when off his game, he is truly off, making players around him worse.

Additionally, over the last few games, not all of Nagelsmann’s in-game decisions have been sensible. Against Italy in the Nations League quarterfinals return leg, for example, substitutions meant that Germany lost control over the match.

Tonight at least, there was betterment in sight. Amiri for Nick Woltemade and Maximilian Beier for Gnaby brought a new dynamic to the attack. The two forwards were both involved in Germany’s second goal.

“The subs changed the game,” Nagelsmann said. “Nadiem did really well. Maxi [Beier] brought pace and runs in behind the centre-backs.”

That’s one positive. Another is the reaction by the German team, both to Thursday’s result but also to conceding the equalizer today. “It wasn’t easy after Thursday,” wing-back David Raum said. “We were somewhat dissected by the media, and rightly so. Nevertheless, we started this game well. We took the lead, then Northern Ireland scored out of nowhere. And then it’s completely normal and human that we were a bit shocked and unsettled.”

What do we make then from those last two games? “We must learn from these mistakes, grow as a team, stand together more, and show more confidence,” Raum said. “We are Germany, a great footballing nation. We have a lot of quality, and we simply have to show that even more, and then develop quality through our mentality. We did that well in the second half and deserved to win.”

So, where is Germany at then after those two World Cup qualifiers? Slovakia struggled in Luxembourg, but a late winner by Tomas Rigo means they remain in control of Group A. A draw by Slovakia in Luxembourg would have certainly helped Germany’s cause, but then again, this team should have enough to win the next four games and qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.