Goal lull “not so bad”
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Seven games for Newcastle United, four goals. Five games for Germany, zero goals: Nick Woltemade would like to iron out the imbalance in his balance sheet for club and national team on Monday in Belfast. Julian Nagelsmann is deliberately not putting any pressure on the striker, who was recently unlucky in the DFB jersey, before the World Cup qualifying duel in Northern Ireland.
“Nick just has to stick with it. He’s having a good run at Newcastle, he’s already scored several times there. He’ll score for us too,” assured the national coach. The time for the 23-year-old’s first international goal will come, said the 38-year-old – but possibly not until the World Cup year of 2026. “It can take another five games until you score a goal, or six or seven, that’s not so bad,” said Nagelsmann. “At some point he will score and then he will score a few more times.” Like in Newcastle, where he has already scored three goals in the Premier League and one goal in the Champions League for the Magpies.
Woltemade made his debut for Germany in the semifinals of the Nations League final tournament against Portugal (1:2) in June, but, like in the following game for third place against France (0:2), failed to score. He then traveled to the U21 European Championships in Slovakia for the DFB team and was top scorer there with six goals.
Woltemade: Whistles from our own fans after the first Northern Ireland game
In his next senior international games in Slovakia (0:2) and against Northern Ireland (3:1), he didn’t manage to score his debut goal either. In Cologne he was even booed by the fans. Nagelsmann doesn’t like the debate that has begun, which may have been fueled by the €90 million move from VfB Stuttgart to Newcastle. “We don’t have to get involved in the fast pace of business, just stick with it,” was his advice after the 4-0 win against Luxembourg, in which Woltemade again failed to score.
Northern Irish sense opportunity: “Even more possible” against DFB team
Before the trip to Northern Ireland, Nagelsmann also sent a few clarifying words to Belfast to be on the safe side. He never wanted to make disrespectful comments about his opponent’s football in the World Cup qualification. “I was a bit accused of bad-mouthing Northern Irish football, but I didn’t. I made it clear that the long balls they play are really disgusting to defend,” explained the national coach.
Coach Michael O’Neill’s team would have caused “stress” with their style of play in Germany’s difficult 3-1 win in Cologne in September. Nagelsmann recalled that they had to defend 20 standard situations before the game on Monday (8:45 p.m./RTL) in Windsor Park. The message that came to Nagelsmann before he landed in the Northern Irish capital was clear: We’re not making it any easier for you this time. After the 2-0 win against Slovakia, the Northern Irish feel more confident than they have for a long time.
“You could say it was one of our best performances, but I think there is more possible,” said O’Neill, who made his 100th appearance for his country against Germany. They sense the World Cup opportunity in Belfast. With six points, they are level with Germany and Slovakia in Group A. And in the incredibly atmospheric Windsor Park, the Northern Irish have been unbeaten for seven games and have won five competitive games there in a row since 2023 with 13-0 goals. Germany can come, that is the general mood.
Nagelsmann: It will be a different house number in Belfast
“This is a team that is bilious. Then in Belfast with the fans who are very emotional. It will be a different house number than today,” warned Nagelsmann after the 4-0 win against Luxembourg. Northern Ireland could qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 1986 and take part in a major tournament for the first time since the 2016 European Championship. If they only end up in third place in the group, the Northern Irish have a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup playoffs in March as one of four Nations League group winners.
Here Transfermarkt explains the mode of World Cup qualification in Europe and the path to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
“They are still at the beginning of their international careers. But they have risen to the challenge and we can only win in the game against Germany on Monday,” said O’Neill about his young team. But there is one flaw: captain and manager Conor Bradley from Liverpool FC is missing due to a yellow card suspension.