Coach Julian Nagelsmann announced on Saturday (6) that Germany will have several changes in the lineup to face Northern Ireland on Sunday (7) in Colonia, by the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The decision comes after the surprising last Thursday (4), which marked the first setback outside the German national team in the qualifiers. It was also the third consecutive defeat, after stumbling in the League of Nations against Portugal and France in June.
“It will not be a completely different team in terms of philosophy, but at the level of names we will have changes. We need to deliver a better game,” Nagelsmann told a press conference.
The coach stated that the group did an internal self -criticism and highlighted the need to recover intensity and commitment. “We have to put players on the field that fit the situation. We can not only think of classification, but about winning the match,” he added.
Germany is a favorite in Group A, which also has Luxembourg, but cannot afford to follow defeats.
Nagelsmann minimized any pressure on his permanence. “I’m not afraid. I’ll do my best to win. This is a very important game for us and the fans.”
