Anybody seeking confirmation that Florian Wirtz was worthy of a £116m transfer fee would not have found it in Belfast. Instead, it was Nick Woltemade, courtesy of his maiden goal for his country, who endorsed his status as Germany’s man of the moment. It would not be a World Cup without Germany and it surely will not be a World Cup without Germany. They are, however, clearly still a work in progress.
Julian Nagelsmann will enjoy more comfortable evenings on the touchline. For all their technical superiority, Germany failed to properly punish a Northern Ireland team who showed wonderful tenacity and grew in belief as the clock ticked down. The scale of frustration at not claiming a point depicted how much they put into this game.
