Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has thrown his full support behind Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz, insisting the young star will soon find his form in the Premier League despite a challenging start at Anfield.
Speaking to reporters in Belfast on Sunday ahead of Germany’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, Nagelsmann described Wirtz’s early struggles as “completely normal” and expressed full confidence in his ability to adapt.
“I have no concerns,” said Nagelsmann. “He’ll adapt very quickly and score goals for Liverpool. He’ll create a lot of lovely moments at Anfield.”
Wirtz, 21, joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for a fee of £100 million (€115 million), but he has yet to register a goal or an assist in nine appearances across the Premier League and Champions League.
Julian Nagelsmann Confident Wirtz Will Reignite Form
The Germany boss admitted that a breakthrough moment could help reignite Wirtz’s confidence and hopes that comes in Monday’s clash against Northern Ireland.
“Hopefully, he’ll score tomorrow,” Nagelsmann added. “It would be good for him and good for us.”
Germany’s qualification campaign has been mixed so far. After a shock 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in their opening game, they bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland in Cologne and a 4-0 win against Luxembourg on Friday. However, that result was aided by Luxembourg playing much of the match with 10 men.
Julian Nagelsmann acknowledged that while the group remains tight, Germany must maintain consistency.
“We lost one game already, and in World Cup qualifying, you don’t get that many chances,” he said. “We have to take it step by step, but another three points would put us in a strong position.”
Northern Ireland Seek Another Upset
Northern Ireland, who haven’t qualified for a World Cup since 1986, enter the match full of belief after their surprise 2-0 win over Slovakia on Friday.
Coach Michael O’Neill praised his team’s performance but urged them to keep pushing.
“You could say it was one of our best performances, but I think we can do even better,” O’Neill said. “We’ve got the opportunity now to do what Slovakia did — and we have to aspire to do that.”
The hosts will be without captain Conor Bradley, suspended after picking up too many bookings.
With both teams level on six points alongside Slovakia in Group A, Monday’s clash could prove decisive in shaping the race for World Cup qualification.
