Germany have secured their ticket to the 2018 World Cup in Russia after beating Northern Ireland 3-1 in Belfast. National head coach Joachim Löw and his players were very happy after their ninth win in nine World Cup qualifiers. DFB.de has the post-match reaction to the match in Belfast.
JOACHIM LÖW: We’re pleased with the result, even if it was a tricky match. Northern Ireland were focusing heavily on defence, so it was important for us to score a goal early on. Of course, it played into our hands that we scored a second soon after. We controlled the game after that and stayed alert until the end. Rudy’s goal was simply spectacular; they don’t come much better than that. The keeper had no chance. The second half wasn’t quite as exciting as the first, but that’s to be expected when you’re controlling the match. We defended well against Northern Ireland’s long balls and we didn’t commit fouls. That was really important.
REINHARD GRINDEL: I’m very proud. We’ve won nine out of nine matches – you can’t do any better than that. The team played very confidently, including the players who were coming back from injury lay-offs. The future is looking bright for us.
SEBASTIAN RUDY: I’m absolutely delighted for Die Mannschaft. It was important for us to score an early goal so that we could calm our nerves slightly. We dominated the game; our opponents were somewhat passive and let us play our way. It wasn’t easy but it was a commanding victory. We want to defend our title, of course. We’re not going to Russia just to join in – we want to achieve something there.
JOSHUA KIMMICH: The decisive factor was the fact that we went into the lead early and we were alert and present on the pitch. We knew that Northern Ireland would be difficult to score against. Naturally, we practised crossing and creating chances, but we had a very, very strong presence in their box. Of course, it’s a bit of luck whether you can pick out a teammate or not.
MATS HUMMELS: We gave a great performance today with a spectacular goal to kick it off. Northern Ireland were out there to defend, which was something we had to bear in mind. Our biggest strength was that we managed to remain calm and collected. We controlled the game and played confidently; the victory was deserved.
JÉRÔME BOATENG: The fact that we’ve now already qualified shows that we’ve had a great World Cup qualification campaign. We wanted to absolutely make sure that we won here. Northern Ireland hadn’t lost here yet and hadn’t conceded either, but we managed to score three goals today. We played very, very well in the first half. We could’ve made more of the second half; we could’ve scored one or two more. It was amazing – I’ve been working towards it for a long time. It was a dream and I’m delighted to have begun with a win.
SANDRO WAGNER: It was great fun. The fans here are fantastic; it’s something I’ve never experienced. It was a great match with great aspects for both teams.
MARVIN PLATTENHARDT: We prepared well; everyone really wanted it and we won dominantly as a result.
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Germany have secured their ticket to the 2018 World Cup in Russia after beating Northern Ireland 3-1 in Belfast. National head coach Joachim Löw and his players were very happy after their ninth win in nine World Cup qualifiers. DFB.de has the post-match reaction to the match in Belfast.
JOACHIM LÖW: We’re pleased with the result, even if it was a tricky match. Northern Ireland were focusing heavily on defence, so it was important for us to score a goal early on. Of course, it played into our hands that we scored a second soon after. We controlled the game after that and stayed alert until the end. Rudy’s goal was simply spectacular; they don’t come much better than that. The keeper had no chance. The second half wasn’t quite as exciting as the first, but that’s to be expected when you’re controlling the match. We defended well against Northern Ireland’s long balls and we didn’t commit fouls. That was really important.
REINHARD GRINDEL: I’m very proud. We’ve won nine out of nine matches – you can’t do any better than that. The team played very confidently, including the players who were coming back from injury lay-offs. The future is looking bright for us.
SEBASTIAN RUDY: I’m absolutely delighted for Die Mannschaft. It was important for us to score an early goal so that we could calm our nerves slightly. We dominated the game; our opponents were somewhat passive and let us play our way. It wasn’t easy but it was a commanding victory. We want to defend our title, of course. We’re not going to Russia just to join in – we want to achieve something there.
JOSHUA KIMMICH: The decisive factor was the fact that we went into the lead early and we were alert and present on the pitch. We knew that Northern Ireland would be difficult to score against. Naturally, we practised crossing and creating chances, but we had a very, very strong presence in their box. Of course, it’s a bit of luck whether you can pick out a teammate or not.
MATS HUMMELS: We gave a great performance today with a spectacular goal to kick it off. Northern Ireland were out there to defend, which was something we had to bear in mind. Our biggest strength was that we managed to remain calm and collected. We controlled the game and played confidently; the victory was deserved.
JÉRÔME BOATENG: The fact that we’ve now already qualified shows that we’ve had a great World Cup qualification campaign. We wanted to absolutely make sure that we won here. Northern Ireland hadn’t lost here yet and hadn’t conceded either, but we managed to score three goals today. We played very, very well in the first half. We could’ve made more of the second half; we could’ve scored one or two more. It was amazing – I’ve been working towards it for a long time. It was a dream and I’m delighted to have begun with a win.
SANDRO WAGNER: It was great fun. The fans here are fantastic; it’s something I’ve never experienced. It was a great match with great aspects for both teams.
MARVIN PLATTENHARDT: We prepared well; everyone really wanted it and we won dominantly as a result.
