Liverpool star Florian Wirtz delivered another moment of brilliance as Germany secured a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who joined Liverpool in a £116m summer move from Bayer Leverkusen, scored a spectacular free-kick to seal victory for Julian Nagelsmann’s side in Cologne. It was his eighth international goal and his fifth strike in his last 10 appearances for Die Mannschaft.
Germany took the lead early through Serge Gnabry, but Northern Ireland struck back with Isaac Price’s volley just before the break. After a frustrating first half, Wirtz came alive in the second period. Substitute Nadiem Amiri restored the lead, before Wirtz stepped up to deliver a trademark set-piece that left the goalkeeper helpless.
German media singled out the Anfield man for his turnaround after what they described as a “weak” opening 45 minutes.
“After a weak first half in which he barely received the ball and lacked confidence, he improved in the second. He had one chance when he ran deep and almost tipped a chip from Kimmich into the net, then scored a spectacular direct free kick to make it 3-1,” SPORT1 wrote on their website after eating him 3 on their 1-to-5 scale.
Wirtz now has 33 caps for Germany and continues to be one of Nagelsmann’s most decisive attacking options. For the Reds, he has started all four games under new head coach Arne Slot this season, quickly becoming central to their style of play.
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