Germany Thrash Northern Ireland 3-1 in World Cup Qualifier

Germany bounced back from their shock defeat to Slovakia with a convincing 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday. The match, played at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, saw the hosts dominate possession but struggle to create clear-cut chances in the early stages.

The breakthrough came in the 7th minute when Serge Gnabry, who scored a hat-trick against Northern Ireland in a 6-1 win six years ago, barged his way past the defense and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell. However, Northern Ireland responded well and equalized in the 34th minute through a stunning volley from Isaac Price.

Price's quick feet forced Antonio Rudiger into a cynical block, which earned the Real Madrid defender a yellow card and shifted the momentum of the game. The 21-year-old's eighth goal in his last nine appearances for Northern Ireland gave the visitors genuine hope of getting something out of the game.

However, Germany regained control of the match in the second half and took the lead through Nadiem Amiri's 69th-minute goal. Amiri tapped into an empty net after a sweeping move from deep, and four minutes later, Liverpool's £116m signing Florian Wirtz thumped in an excellent free-kick to put the game out of Northern Ireland's reach.

Despite a spirited performance from Northern Ireland, Germany's second-half goals earned them a convincing win and eased the pressure on manager Julian Nagelsmann. The win marked a much-needed response from Germany after their third consecutive defeat, and they will look to build on this momentum in their future qualifiers.