Germany battled to a narrow 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in Belfast, thanks to a first-half strike from Nick Woltemade, who scored his debut goal for the national team in the 31st minute.

The visitors dominated early possession, but clear chances were few and far between. When the opportunity came, Woltemade made no mistake — latching onto a loose ball in the box and slotting past the keeper with composure to give Julian Nagelsmann's side the lead.

Karim Adeyemi had a golden opportunity to double the lead shortly after half-time but failed to convert. From that point on, Germany found themselves under increasing pressure, focusing more on defending than extending their advantage.

Baumann Saves Germany Late On

The hosts pushed hard in the final stages, and it took a crucial save from Oliver Baumann in the 88th minute to preserve the win. The German goalkeeper reacted superbly to deny a close-range effort that looked destined for the net.

The match was a physical affair. Nico Schlotterbeck and Aleksandar Pavlović both suffered painful knocks, while Florian Wirtz was booed relentlessly by the home crowd every time he touched the ball, adding an extra layer of tension to an already heated contest.

Despite the narrow margin, the result keeps Germany on top of Group A with nine points – level with Slovakia, but ahead on goal difference.

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FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers

Northern Ireland - Germany 0:1 (0:1)
Goals: Woltemade, 31 (0:1)

Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell; Ballard; Hume; McNair (Smyth P., 75); Charles Sh.; Galbraith; Price; Devenny; Mccann А. (Marshall, 75); Spencer; Reid J. (Magennis, 46)
Substitution: Magennis (from 46); Smyth P. (from 75); Marshall (from 75)
Bench: Hazard Co.; Southwood; Toal; McConville; McDonnell J.; Devlin; Saville G.; Donley; Charles Di.
Yellow Cards: Reid J. 28; Galbraith 45; Magennis 90

Germany: Baumann; Tah J.; Schlotterbeck N.; Pavlovic Al. (Anton, 87); Kimmich; Goretzka; Wirtz (Baku R., 90); Gnabry (Andrich, 87); Raum D.; Woltemade (Burkardt, 90); Adeyemi K. (Beier M., 65)
Substitution: Beier M. (from 65); Anton (from 87); Andrich (from 87); Baku R. (from 90); Burkardt (from 90)
Bench: Nübel; Dahmen F.; Koch; Brown; Amiri N.; Nmecha F.; Stiller
Yellow Cards: Adeyemi K. 61; Andrich 90