Overview

• Germany edged Northern Ireland 3-1 in Cologne after Nadiem Amiri struck on his first international goal and Florian Wirtz sealed it with a free kick following an early Serge Gnabry opener and an Isaac Price equalizer.
• The result followed a 0-2 loss in Slovakia, and with Slovakia winning in Luxembourg, Germany stays three points off the Group A lead.
• Julian Nagelsmann responded with five lineup changes and a switch to three central defenders, bringing in Waldemar Anton and Robin Koch, with Jamie Leweling and David Raum deployed wide.
• Antonio Rüdiger received his second booking of qualifying and will miss the October match against Luxembourg through suspension.
• With Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Niclas Füllkrug unavailable, lesser-used options such as Amiri, Maximilian Beier and Leweling provided the late spark, yet a stable starting XI and direct qualification remain unresolved.