Overview

• Serge Gnabry scored early before Northern Ireland leveled from a corner, then substitute Nadiem Amiri made it 2:1 on 69 minutes and Florian Wirtz sealed it with a free kick three minutes later.
• Maximilian Beier, only drafted in after Niclas Füllkrug’s late muscle issue, injected pace and movement that disrupted the visitors on the decisive goal, with Julian Nagelsmann acknowledging a shortage of fit target strikers.
• Nagelsmann criticized halftime boos and urged unity, using the “hyenas in the bush” line, and said this international window was only “50 percent satisfactory” with October qualifiers in Sinsheim and Belfast now the focus.
• Analysts highlighted recurring defensive lapses, pointing to Antonio Rüdiger’s errors, even as the 3-5-2 setup showed flashes through active wing play from David Raum and Jamie Leweling.
• Injuries continue to thin the squad, with Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Marc-André ter Stegen, Tim Kleindienst and others absent; reports suggest Nico Schlotterbeck and Füllkrug could return by October, while Nagelsmann does not expect ter Stegen back this year.