Highlights: Germany beat Northern Ireland with quick-fire double

At a glance

  • Serge Gnabry gave Germany seventh-minute lead in Cologne.

  • Northern Ireland's Isaac Price smashed home an equaliser for his 10th international goal.

  • Substitute Nadiem Amiri put Germany back in front in the 69th minute.

  • Liverpool's Florian Wirtz curls in super free-kick to make it 3-1.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at the RheinEnergieStadion

A gritty performance from Northern Ireland was not enough to deny Germany a first win of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The under-pressure hosts were given a seventh-minute lead through Serge Gnabry but, on a nervy night in Cologne, Isaac Price's volleyed finish 11 minutes before half-time pegged back Julian Nagelsmann's side.

Northern Ireland held out until the 69th minute when Nadiem Amiri capitalised on some rare confusion at the back for the visitors before a curling free-kick from Liverpool's Florian Wirtz made it 3-1.

Coming in off the back of three defeats, the most recent of was Thursday's 2-0 loss in Slovakia to open their Group A campaign, Germany could not have hoped for a better start.

A heavy touch by centre-back Eoin Toal allowed Newcastle United's new signing Nick Woltemade nip in and steal the ball before putting Gnabry through on goal.

Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, earning his 50th Northern Ireland cap, had no chance of stopping the Bayern Munich man's composed finish.

The visitors took time to adjust to Germany's direct attacking style with Gnabry and Jamie Leweling both almost getting in behind from early balls forward.

Paddy McNair had to be alert to stop Woltemade getting a shot away with the San Diego FC man then having his side's first chance when he headed over from a corner on the half-hour mark.

It was from another corner four minutes later that Price was left unmarked six yards out and he fired Justin Devenny's delivery into the roof of the net.

David Raum had a goal disallowed for offside before the break, but Northern Ireland finished the half stronger with Shea Charles increasingly prominent.

As the pressure on the Germans ramped up, Leweling's rising effort just before the hour-mark was their first real sight of goal in the second-half.

Seemingly lifted, Germany forced Peacock-Farrell into a swift double-save before Waldemar Anton headed over from a corner.

The visiting keeper then made a brilliant instinctive save from Wirtz but, with 22 minutes remaining, he then left a hopeful long ball only to see substitute Amiri nip in and tap home into an empty net.

Three minutes later, Wirtz curled in a brilliant free-kick to make the game safe for Germany.

Analysis: NI give Germany scare with brave showing

A consistent theme of manager Michael O'Neill's second tenure in charge of Northern Ireland has been a repeated desire to see his international players play their club football at as high a level as possible.

When, in the seventh minute, a heavy touch by Toal, a defender playing in League One, was pounced upon by a striker who last month was sold for £69m and finished off by a Bayern Munich attacker, Northern Ireland's challenge was laid bare.

Yet, there is more to international football than the talent on display - which Northern Ireland showed for more than half an hour in Cologne.

While it took some time to get to grips with Germany's direct style and the runs of Gnabry and Leweling in behind, once they did, the visitors provided more than a match for their vaunted opposition.

With the composed Charles increasingly instrumental, Price's equaliser 11 minutes before the break was the culmination of a period of real pressure.

In the almost two years between qualifying campaigns, when Northern Ireland played in the third tier of the Nations League, O'Neill cannily targeted friendly matches against a higher quality of opposition with just this sort of fixture in mind.

There were difficult nights against Spain and an Alexander Isak-led Sweden, losing 5-1 on both occasions, but they were better for the experience. This was a night when for a long period they were able to match a footballing heavyweight, albeit one short on form and confidence.

Eventually Germany wrested back control, and Wirtz's free-kick to rob the remaining minutes of any tension was another reminder of the opposition's quality, but this was a night that should give Northern Ireland plenty of belief, both for the remainder of this qualifying campaign and the future of this young team.

Analysis: Tension clear for Germany on nervy night

One has not had to look too far for consternation regarding the national team in Germany over the past three days.

With Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos - the last of the 2014 World Cup winning side - departing the scene after a quarter-final defeat by Spain at Euro 2024, there was almost a sense that Thursday's shock loss to Slovakia to start their campaign marked the end of the era.

It was a third defeat on the spin. Any anger over previous losses to Portugal and France could be tempered by the quality of opposition and, in the case of the latter, it coming in a Nations League third-place play-off.

To start their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign off on such a note really ramped up the pressure and it was evident for long periods in Cologne on Sunday.

The hosts got the start they wanted, with Gnabry scoring against Northern Ireland for a fifth time after only six minutes.

Rather than the early lead having a settling influence, however, there was still a discernible edge to proceedings. Germany were noticeably direct, looking to get the ball forward early which, while looking dangerous at times, also contributed to an apparent lack of control.

Once Northern Ireland settled into the game, they deservedly equalised and the reaction of supporters to the half-time whistle underlined the pressure on the four-time World Cup winners after the restart.

They did not start the second half any better than they finished the first but ultimately took control of the game after Nagelsmann turned to his bench with a pair of substitutes heavily involved in the crucial second goal.

Then, if Northern Ireland will feel the first two goals they conceded were avoidable, Wirtz's free-kick was unstoppable.

The win will do little to change the mood, but Germany's campaign is up and running.

What's next for these sides?

Northern Ireland: After a pair of away games to begin Pool A, Michael O'Neill's side are in Belfast twice next month.

First, they welcome group leaders Slovakia to Windsor Park on Friday, 10 October before getting reacquainted with Germany three days later.

Both fixtures will be live across the BBC.

Germany: The four-time World Cup winners' attempts to book their place at the 2026 tournament will continue when they host Luxembourg at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena on 10 October before that return to a Windsor Park venue where they have won on their past five visits.

What the managers said

Watch: Michael O'Neill reflects on his side's defect to Germany.

Watch:Julian Nagelsmann speaking after his side's victory over Northern Ireland.

How you rated the players

Player of the match

C. Bradley
7.57
17 F. Wirtz
7.29
20 S. Gnabry
6.37
10 N. Amiri
5.98
6 J. Kimmich
5.82
7 J. Leweling
5.69
11 N. Woltemade
5.52
9 M. Beier
5.44
22 D. Raum
5.39
8 L. Goretzka
5.27
3 R. Koch
5.23
1 O. Baumann
5.21
5 P. Groß
5.19
15 W. Anton
5.19
2 A. Rüdiger
5.11
4 J. Tah
4.95
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