'More luck' - German media limit praise for Nick Woltemade after NUFC star scores first international goal
Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade continued his fine scoring form by opening his account for Germany in a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland.
Nick Woltemade scored the only goal of the game as Germany beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park on Monday night.
It was Woltemade’s first senior goal for Germany in his sixth appearance to see his country remain top of their World Cup qualifying group on goal difference.
The Newcastle striker was subject to some criticism as he missed a big chance to open his account for Germany in a 4-0 win over Luxembourg last week, but was backed by manager Julian Nagelsmann to score ahead of the Northern Ireland match.
And in the 31st minute of the game, Woltemade rose highest to turn in a corner with what would prove to be the winning goal. The ball was turned in via the 6ft 6in striker’s shoulder to see him continue a strong run of scoring form.
Woltemade has scored four goals in five starts since arriving at Newcastle and has now got off the mark at international level before returning to England for the Premier League trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
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Nick Woltemade reacts to first international goal for Germany
After the match, Woltemade said: “It was very important for me to score my first international goal today. It’s actually fitting that it was with my shoulder. We got the three points so I’m happy.
“It’s tough here with a great atmosphere, so winning is not a given. We’re working a lot on set pieces with different variants - I’m glad it worked out today.”
Woltemade and Germany will be looking to secure World Cup qualification for next summer’s tournament in North America.
The Newcastle striker caught the eye at Under-21s international level over the summer after winning the golden boot at the Under-21s European Championships with Germany. But Woltemade’s efforts weren’t enough to stop England securing a second successive title as Germany finished runners-up in Slovakia.
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German media rate Nick Woltemade’s performance v Northern Ireland
Despite scoring his first goal for Germany and the winning goal at that, the German media were far from lavish in their praise for the Newcastle forward.
Leading German outlet BuliNews handed Woltemade a 6/10 match rating. While the score doesn’t seem high, it was only bettered by defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and David Raum, who scored 7/10 apiece.
And it comes after they gave the striker a 5/10 rating v Luxembourg while claiming his first goal was ‘coming soon’.
On Woltemade’s performance, BuliNews commented: “Was in the right place at the right time to score the winning goal for Germany. Some might call it more luck than skill as the ball bounced off his back, but Woltemade won’t mind.
“He wasn’t as involved in the game as he would have liked, though that wasn’t entirely his fault, and he battled hard against the Northern Ireland centre-backs.”
There was a similar theme in GetFootballNewsGermany, who also handed Woltemade a 6/10 rating, explaining his goal ‘somewhat fortuitously’ found the net.
While it was hardly a glowing reaction to Woltemade’s match-winning display, the Newcastle striker will go some way to silencing the doubters in the German media should he continue to deliver important goals on the international stage.
The 23-year-old was subject to scrutiny from the German press, pundits and particularly those linked with Bayern Munich over the £65million price-tag Newcastle paid to VfB Stuttgart. It came after Bayern attempted to sign Woltemade for around £50million.