Germany vs Northern Ireland: Late goals seal 3-1 win in world cup qualifier

Northen Ireland manager Michael O’ Neil expressed disappointment after his side’s 3-1 defeat to Germany in Cologne, a result that leaves them second in Group A of the world cup qualifiers.

Serge Gnabry opened the scoring early for the host, putting Germany ahead inside the first 10 minutes. Northern Ireland responded strongly, with Issac Price equalising through a well taken volley from a corner, giving O’ Neil side hope of an upset.

However, Germany regained control in the second half. Nadiem Amiri capitalised on a defensive lapse to restore the lead before Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz struck from a free kick just three minutes later to seal the victory.

Speaking after the match, O’ Neil praised his players effort but acknowledged the frustration in the dressing room.

“We are very proud of the display, but there is a real sense of disappointment in the dressing room, which is understandable,” he said.

“For 60 or 65 minutes we were well in the game. The second goal is a bit of a freak goal, we could have defended it better. The third goal isn’t a free kick, it’s fantastic finish but its’s a soft decision.”

O’ Neil added that the short turnaround between matches exposed the squad’s lack of depth.

“This was a really tough game, the second in a short period of time. We weren’t able to make changes because we don’t have the depth to cope in this situation,” he explained.

Despite the defeat, Northern Ireland remain second in Group A after collecting three points from their opening two matches. They beat their opening opponents before falling short against Germany.

Germany’s win was their first of the campaign, lifting pressure after a disappointing start.

Northern Ireland will host Slovakia and Germany in Belfast in October, fixtures O’Neil believes could prove decisive.

“It’s tough to play two games away from home. We got what we hoped for, but we’re a bit disappointment its’s not a little bit more. We have to be ready to play back-to-back at home and we know two good results will put us in a good potion,” O’Neil said.