Germany's Goal Drought Gathers Pace as They Head to Belfast

Germany's scoring drought raises the stakes in Belfast

Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann warned that his team still needs improvement as they travel to Belfast on Monday to face Northern Ireland in their European qualifying campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

His comments came after a convincing 4-0 win over Luxembourg, a result that he called an important and reassuring step after a period of scoring drought that had kept the team's defense busy since November 2024.

Although Luxembourg offered little resistance after an early red card, Nagelsmann praised the discipline and solidity in the basics the players showed for the full 90 minutes.

The coach also praised Bayern forward Serge Gnabry, describing his effort as a model to follow, noting that Gnabry produced a double work rate and scored the third goal, one of his best performances in a long time.

Notably, Gnabry's goal was the only one from open play; the others came from set-pieces through Joshua Kimmich (two) and David Raum.

Scoring drought

With this positive team display, the headline still centers on the ongoing struggles of Germany's traditional No. 9, who has not scored for more than 495 minutes.

Nick Voll, the Newcastle forward who played 61 minutes against Luxembourg, is still waiting for his first goal in the German shirt, and the same goes for Jonathan Burkardt and Maximilian Beier.

The last time a German striker scored in a competitive match was Tim Kleindienst in the Euro Nations League quarterfinal return against Italy on March 23, when the game finished 3-3.

Midfielder Alexander Pavlovic defended his teammates, saying, "I'm sure they will score, I believe in them; we all know what they are capable of... if they don't score now doesn't mean they played a bad game... today others scored and we hope they score in the next match."

In response, Nagelsmann tempered expectations, saying it's "very hard for forwards" and that numerical superiority hadn't benefited them because spaces were tighter.

He added that Vollmuth must continue working "because goals will come, whether it takes five, six, or seven games."

Harder tests await in Belfast as Northern Ireland present a stern challenge

The German side travel to Windsor Park in Belfast for a genuine test, with Northern Ireland's players full of momentum and level on points (6) with Germany, offering the home team a chance to top the group with a win.

Under coach Michael O'Neill, Northern Ireland have not lost on home soil in seven matches and have beaten Denmark 2-0 and drawn 1-1 with Switzerland in that span, underscoring the difficulty of the trip for Germany.

O'Neill called their win over Slovakia "one of our best displays in 99 games in charge," stressing that the players believe they can push further.

Germany will not be at full strength in Belfast, with the German federation confirming Jimi Leweling's absence due to a hamstring problem after leaving the team's training camp in Hertogenbosch on Saturday.

Leweling, 24, had been recovering from injury and trained individually since Tuesday, but experts chose not to risk him, so Kevin Schade was called up as his replacement.

Thus Nagelsmann will have 25 players available as they fly to the Emerald Isle.

Group table

Germany lead the group with six points from two games, having scored seven and conceded three; Northern Ireland sit second with the same points but six for and four against. Slovakia also share the same tally, having scored three and conceded two. Nagelsmann remains pragmatic before facing Northern Ireland, calling the win over Luxembourg a positive step but not enough, saying the path to qualification will demand consistent performances, scoring from the forwards, and solid tactical and mental discipline away from home.

The Northern Ireland clash will test whether the Mannschaft can translate their physical and tactical edge into a meaningful result, giving the team steady momentum on the road to 2026. Nagelsmann, the former Bayern coach, believes the qualification is still possible, provided they stay the course.

Punchline time: If football were a GPS, Germany’s strikers would still be asking for directions. And if patience were a sport, the drought would have a gold medal by now. Punchlines aside, the ball will fall in eventually — right after the snow melts in Belfast, apparently.