Berlin, Oct 14 || Nick Woltemade scored his first international goal as Germany maintained their push toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 away victory over Northern Ireland.
The hosts entered the match full of confidence after their win over Slovakia, but coach Michael O'Neill was forced to make one change as Conor Bradley missed out through suspension. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann kept faith with the same lineup from the 4-0 triumph over Luxembourg.
Northern Ireland started brightly and thought they had taken an early lead when Paddy McNair bundled the ball over the line, only for VAR to rule it out for offside. Germany gradually found their rhythm, and after Aleksandar Pavlovic tested the goalkeeper from distance, opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Woltemade headed in a David Raum corner.
After the break, Germany came close to doubling its advantage as Serge Gnabry's solo run ended with a shot that went wide. The hosts refused to surrender and created several dangerous moments, while goalkeeper Oliver Baumann twice denied efforts from Shea Charles and Ethan Galbraith. In the dying minutes, substitute Callum Marshall nearly snatched an equalizer, but Baumann's reflexes preserved the clean sheet.