Germany vs Northern Ireland Prediction: Another entertaining trip for NI

Germany made an awful start to their World Cup qualification campaign on Thursday, suffering their first-ever away defeat in the competition, as they lost 2-0 to Slovakia. The Germans will need to raise their game on Sunday (19:45 BST, BBC Two), when they welcome Northern Ireland, who beat Luxembourg (A) 3-1 in their first qualifier, to the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.

Below are my Germany vs Northern Ireland predictions, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this Group A contest.

Team News

Germany boss Julien Nagelsmann could make several changes to his starting XI following Thursday's chastening defeat in Bratislava.

Nnamdi Collins, who was hooked at half-time against Slovakia, is the player whose place is most at risk, while Serge Gnabry and Nick Woltemade could also drop down to the bench, with Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Fullkrug ready to take their spots.

Football Odds

As the second-most expensive player in Premier League history, Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz received plenty of flak following his country's defeat in their opening qualifier, but with Jamal Musiala out injured, the creative burden falls on his shoulders, and it would be a big shock if he was taken off the starters list on Sunday.

Northern Ireland head coach Michael O'Neill could name the same starting XI as last Thursday, when his side downed Luxembourg in their first qualifier.

That would mean goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who won his 50th cap at the Stade de Luxembourg, lining up behind a back three of Eoin Toal, Paddy McNair and Trai Hume, with Conor Bradley and Justin Devenny deployed at right and left wing-back, respectively.

Today's Football Fixtures

Shea Charles and Alistair McCann looks set to start alongside each other again in the middle of the park, with Isaac Price and Ethan Galbraith positioned either side of centre-forward Jamie Reid.

Dion Charles, George Saville, Callum Marshall, Jamie Donley and Ruairi McConville all came off the bench against Luxembourg and are options to start on Sunday if O'Neill decides to freshen things up.

Germany vs Northern Ireland Odds

Germany have won all seven previous meetings with Northern Ireland and are 1/8 to make it eight victories from eight on Sunday, implying an 88.9% probability of success. The visitors, meanwhile, are 22/1, or a 4.3% chance, to record a famous victory in Cologne, with a first-ever draw between the two nations priced at 15/2.

Fullkrug and Wirtz (both 5/6) head the anytime goalscorer market, with Charles and Dale Taylor (both 6/1) first up for Norn Iron.

Bet Builder Boosts - 3+ Goals, Stiller (GER) 1+ Fouls Committed, Wirtz (GER) & Price (NIR) 1+ Shots On Target Each @ 5/1 6/1

Northern Ireland's last four away games have produced 3+ goals, while three of Germany's last four home matches have gone over 2.5. The last time these two nations met, in November 2019, there were seven strikes, as the Germans won 6-1 in Frankfurt.

It remains to be seen if Angelo Stiller starts for the hosts on Sunday, considering he was substituted on the hour mark against Slovakia, but if he does, he looks likely to commit at least one foul, after conceding two free-kicks in Bratislava. The 24-year-old Stuttgart midfielder has made seven fouls across three starts for his country, including four in one Nations League match against the Netherlands last October.

Wirtz, meanwhile, has registered four shots on target across his last four international starts, forcing Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka into a save with one of his two efforts on Thursday.

Visiting midfielder Price saw his spot-kick saved by Luxembourg shot-stopper Anthony Moris on Thursday, denying the West Bromwich Albion man a fifth goal in his last six caps, but that failed penalty still made it seven shots on target in that period, and he looks Northern Ireland's best bet to trouble Oliver Baumann on Sunday.

First Goalscorer - Niclas Fullkrug (GER) @ 10/3

Fullkrug hasn't enjoyed the best start to the domestic campaign with West Ham United, failing to score in all three Premier League starts, and with him on the pitch, the Irons have only struck once.

However, the 32-year-old will take confidence from his international goalscoring record, which stands at 14 strikes in 24 caps, heading into Sunday's contest with Northern Ireland.

Fullkrug failed to fire in June defeats to Portugal and France, but he was only a second-half substitute against the Portuguese, and struck four times in nine caps last year.

His last international effort, in a 5-0 victory over Hungary last September, opened the scoring in that game.

The 2023/24 Bundesliga Golden Boot winner may get the nod to start on Sunday ahead of Woltemade, who played the full 90 in Bratislava, and if he does, he looks decent value to grab the first goal against Northern Ireland in this pivotal qualifier.

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