Northern Ireland put up a good fight, but ultimately had to accept a 3-1 defeat to Germany in the World Cup Qualifiers. Two goals in quick succession in the second-half, saw the home-side edge past their opposition. The Northern Ireland coach was hopeful to spring another upset result following Germany’s defeat to Slovakia. However, with his plans having failed, Michael O’Neill was upset and even got a little salty about the refereeing.
Big disappointment
In the post-match interview with the BBC, Norther Ireland’s manager
Michael O’Neill expressed his discontent with the result of the fixture. “We are very proud of the display, but there is a real sense of disappointment in the dressing room, which is understandable,” he said.
Lack of depth
O’Neill lamented the lack of squad depth in NI. Compared to Germany who made 5 changes after the mid-week game against Slovakia, O’Neill’s side played the same squad in a span of 3 days. “This is a really tough game, second game in a short period of time. It showed we weren’t able to make changes. We just don’t have the depth to cope in this situation,” said O’Neill.
Salty about the referee
N.Ireland equalised to level the score after an early goal by Serge Gnabry. Amiri’s goal and Wirtz’s stunning free kick saw Germany take the game away from their feisty opposition. O’Neill however, was not convinced that Wirtz’s free kick should have been awarded in the first place. “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 a fantastic finish but it’s a soft free-kick,” said O’Neill.
O’Neill hoped to upset the Germans with a surge in the final quarter. However, the free-kick gave a two goal cushion that threw a spanner in the works. “We were well in the game and needed to get to that final 15 minutes and we might have had a final chance, but the game drifted away from us,” he added.
Road ahead
NI sit at second place ahead of Germany in group A of the World Cup qualifiers for Europe. With a win and a defeat on the road, they return home where they shall host the next two games against Slovakia and Germany. Coach O’Neill is positive about their chances for qualification as the current scenario does favor them.
“It’s tough to play two games away from home,” he said. “We got what we hoped for, but we’re a bit disappointed it’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 position,” he added. Germany on the other hand will host Luxembourg before hitting the road to clash against N.Ireland in the return fixture.
What do you think about Germany’s chances against Northern Ireland, can the home advantage cause another upset or will the Germans pull past the Green and White army and make it two wins in two games? Do let us know in the comments.
Wow…Germany was on the ropes vs. Northern Ireland, but a strong second half effort helped Julian Nagelsmann’s team pull away for a 3-1 victory.
It was ugly at times and desperate at others, but this was somehow a must win match for a squad that was absolutely reeling after getting stomped out by Slovakia earlier in the week. The Germans absolutely needed this victory and it could have been disastrous had things not turned around in the latter stages of the game.
Let’s get into it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at the starting XI.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
- Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
