Key Takeaways:
- Germany claimed a 1-0 away win against Northern Ireland in a Group A World Cup qualifier
- Nick Woltemade scored his debut goal for Germany, finding the net in the 31st minute
- The victory kept Germany on 9 points at the top of their group, level with Slovakia, while Northern Ireland remain third on 3 points and are eliminated from qualification
Match Analysis
Germany emerged with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in Belfast. The only goal of the contest came courtesy of Nick Woltemade, who marked his first international goal for Die Mannschaft in the 31st minute. With this result, Germany extended their total to 9 points and retained their position at the summit of the group, level on points with second-placed Slovakia. Northern Ireland, still on 3 points, occupy third place and no longer have a chance to progress to the 2026 World Cup.
Nick Woltemade has scored his first goal for Germany, and gives Julian Nagelsmann's side the lead against Northern Ireland. pic.twitter.com/d4mHHCQmMf
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 13, 2025
Key Moments
The first significant opportunity unfolded in the 6th minute when Serge Gnabry redirected the ball to Leon Goretzka inside the opposition area. As Goretzka went to ground, Nick Woltemade collected possession and set up David Raum, whose attempt was blocked and resulted in a corner. Florian Wirtz found space two minutes later but fired over from a promising position.
In the 16th minute, Northern Ireland had a goal ruled out. Bailey Peacock-Farrell delivered into the German box, where the ball was headed on to Paddy McNair. After a scramble, Daniel Ballard found the net, but McNair was flagged offside and the effort did not stand. Three minutes later, Aleksandar Pavlovic’s effort from the edge of the box sailed over the bar.
The deadlock was broken after 31 minutes. David Raum’s corner was met by Woltemade, who rose highest and used his shoulder to guide the ball beyond the far post, scoring what would prove to be the game’s decisive goal and opening his account for Germany.
Just before the interval, the home side spurned two opportunities. Jamie Reid shot wide from a decent opening, and Ali McCann sent his effort narrowly off target in first-half stoppage time.
Second Half Developments
Two minutes into the second period, Karim Adeyemi nearly doubled the lead following an incisive pass from Florian Wirtz. Having outpaced the Northern Irish defence, Adeyemi found himself through on goal but failed to convert when one-on-one with Peacock-Farrell.
On the hour, Deveni outjumped Raum to tee up Shea Charles, whose powerful drive from distance was well saved by Oliver Baumann. Play quickly shifted after a German error in building from the back, leading to Ethan Galbraith’s attempt, which Baumann managed to push behind for a corner.
In the 70th minute, Serge Gnabry was denied by the home keeper after receiving a pass from Goretzka and shooting towards the near post. Five minutes from time, Galbraith unleashed a powerful effort just over the bar. Soon after, Callum Marshall latched onto a long ball, escaped the defence and forced Baumann into another key stop. Deep into added time, Jonathan Tah intervened to clear Josh Magennis’s attempt as Germany protected their slim advantage.
Line-ups
| Northern Ireland | Germany |
|---|---|
| Peacock-Farrell, Ballard, McNair, Hume, Spencer, Deveni, McCann, Charles, Galbraith, Price, Reid | Baumann, Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Raum, Pavlovic, Goretzka, Wirtz, Gnabry, Adeyemi, Woltemade |
Group A Standings Update
The Group A table remained tightly contested at the top after tonight’s result, with both Germany and Slovakia level on 9 points. Northern Ireland, with 3 points from their campaign thus far, are confirmed out of contention for the next phase.
