{"id":406261,"date":"2025-09-07T22:01:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T22:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/406261\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T22:01:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T22:01:21","slug":"germany-bounce-back-against-northern-ireland-spain-thump-turkey-in-world-cup-qualifiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/406261\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany bounce back against Northern Ireland, Spain thump Turkey, in World Cup qualifiers"},"content":{"rendered":"

COLOGNE, Germany – A stunning free-kick from Florian Wirtz helped Germany overcome a sluggish performance to beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in World Cup qualifying in Cologne on Sept 7.<\/p>\n

In Turkey, meanwhile, Mikel Merino struck a hat-trick as Spain hammered the hosts 6-0 to take charge of their qualifying group.<\/p>\n

Germany came into the match under pressure after a shock 2-0 loss to Slovakia in their opening qualifier on Sept 4, with coach Julian Nagelsmann making five changes to his starting XI.<\/p>\n

Serge Gnabry got the hosts off to a strong start seven minutes in, but the Germans were pegged back midway through the first half when Isaac Price hammered home from a corner.<\/p>\n

Germany lacked pace, fluidity and ideas in the opening period, leaving the field at half-time to isolated boos and whistles.<\/p>\n

Nagelsmann was swiftly rewarded for bringing on the energetic Maximilian Beier and Nadiem Amiri early in the second half.<\/p>\n

The duo combined for Germany\u2019s second, as Beier\u2019s run for a David Raum long ball confused Northern Irish goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, allowing Amiri to score.<\/p>\n

Three minutes later, Wirtz stepped up to take a free-kick after Amiri was fouled and unleashed a perfect shot which sailed over the wall and in off the crossbar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew it was a catastrophe last game and we wanted to do things better,\u201d Wirtz told Germany\u2019s RTL network.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good performance we can definitely build on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The flat nature of the victory is unlikely to quieten too many of Germany\u2019s detractors, particularly coming against a side fielding just four players from top-flight European clubs in their starting XI.<\/p>\n

Fresh off a first ever away loss in a World Cup qualifer, Nagelsmann called on his team to show emotion before the Sept 7 match, saying the four-time world champions were \u201cmiles away\u201d from where they needed to be.<\/p>\n

Gnabry helped Germany briefly cut through the nervous energy when he gave them an early lead.<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland failed to deal with a long ball which was intercepted by Nick Woltemade, who found Gnabry running through on goal.<\/p>\n

The Bayern Munich forward controlled the pass and chipped Peacock-Farrell.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s Serge Gnabry scores past Northern Ireland goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: EPA<\/p>\n

But Germany sat back after taking the lead, letting Northern Ireland back into the game and allowing them to equalise with 34 minutes played.<\/p>\n

Price shed his marker in Gnabry and volleyed in a corner completely unmarked at the far post.<\/p>\n

Nagelsmann\u2019s two changes just after the hour mark would prove crucial, with Beier and Amiri giving the hosts direction and energy before combining for a goal eight minutes later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very motivated today because we needed to set things right after the last game,\u201d Amiri said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s Nadiem Amiri scores their second goal past Northern Ireland\u2019s Bailey Peacock-Farrell.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: REUTERS<\/p>\n

Having faced criticism over a slow start at new club Liverpool, Wirtz showed real emotion in his celebration after curling home his excellent free-kick.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s another league, another type of football. I\u2019m happy to be there,\u201d Wirtz said of his first experiences in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea when I\u2019ll score my first goal, hopefully in the next game, but it will come at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wirtz\u2019s strike helped end a run of three straight defeats for Germany, while allaying early fears they could miss out on the World Cup for the first time since not being allowed to enter in 1950.<\/p>\n

In Konya, Turkey, Spain\u2019s Merino struck a hat-trick, Pedri Gonzalez netted twice and Ferran Torres also on target as Luis de la Fuente\u2019s side topped Group E with their second victory from their opening two matches.<\/p>\n

After a comfortable 3-0 win in Bulgaria on Sept 4 the coach pledged his Euro 2024-winning team had an even higher level to reach and they proved that in Konya.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew we had to come out strongly from the start and that\u2019s what we did, dominating,\u201d said Pedri.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the team was able to keep that intensity through to the end of the game and the result reflects that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some billed the match as a battle between Barcelona and Spain starlet Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid and Turkey playmaker Arda Guler, but the gulf in class between the sides did not allow for any reasonable comparison.<\/p>\n

Pedri broke the deadlock in the sixth minute with a fine finish from the edge of the box as Spain made a quick start.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s Pedri (centre) scores their first goal against Turkey.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: EPA<\/p>\n

Arsenal\u2019s Merino netted the first of his treble by blasting home at the end of a superb team move as Spain shredded Turkey\u2019s defence with quick, incisive passing.<\/p>\n

At the other end Guler set up Kerem Akturkoglu, who hit the post, but was later shown to be offside.<\/p>\n

Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams was taken off before the break with an apparent thigh injury in the only negative note for Spain.<\/p>\n

Merino netted his second in first-half stoppage time after being teed up by Mikel Oyarzabal, who produced a hat-trick of assists.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s Mikel Merino celebrates scoring their fifth goal.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: REUTERS<\/p>\n

Electric 18-year-old Yamal played in Barcelona team-mate Torres for Spain\u2019s fourth in the 53rd minute and then laid the ball off for Merino to curl home from distance for his treble.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very happy for winning, to pick up six points, for doing it in this way, and for scoring three goals, which is not normal \u2013 the first hat-trick of my career,\u201d said Merino.<\/p>\n

Yamal had good opportunities to score himself but blazed over and squeezed a shot narrowly wide.<\/p>\n

With Turkey six goals down, tempers frayed \u2013 the frustrated Guler shoved a grinning Yamal as the pair squared off.<\/p>\n

De la Fuente took off Yamal soon after as Spain saw out their emphatic victory without further incident.<\/p>\n

The coach brought on Rayo Vallecano winger Jorge de Frutos in the final 20 minutes for his international debut.<\/p>\n

Spain sent an early warning that they intend to arrive at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico as favourites.<\/p>\n

La Roja, who won the tournament for the only time in 2010, have six points, with Georgia and Turkey on three each. Bulgaria are bottom with zero. AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"COLOGNE, Germany – A stunning free-kick from Florian Wirtz helped Germany overcome a sluggish performance to beat Northern…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":406262,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[2000,299,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-406261","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-spain"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115165272047955060","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=406261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/406262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=406261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=406261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=406261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}