Conor Bradley hailed by Northern Irish media despite World Cup qualifier loss to Germany
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Northern Ireland succumbed to a 3-1 defeat by Germany on Saturday night as two Reds went head to head in Cologne.
Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley may be teammates at Anfield, but they were on opposite sides during the World Cup qualifier, and it was the former who came out on top, scoring a sensational free-kick to help seal a win.
Northern Ireland was the clear underdog going into the game, despite Germany's recent struggles, and the team gave a good account of itself in defeat.
“They are a good team but I thought we played well on the night, especially in the first half, and I’m disappointed because I thought we should have got more than that.
“I don’t think they were overly great on the night
I don’t think we lost because they were brilliant
I thought we lost because obviously the goals weren’t great that we conceded.”
Wirtz's stunning free-kick rubber-stamped Die Mannschaft's victory, and while Bradley recognized the quality on show from his club teammate, he didn't believe the free-kick should have been awarded in the first place.
“But I don’t think it was a free-kick
"So, it’s disappointing but we will see them in Belfast in a month’s time.”
The goal will no doubt be a welcome boost to Wirtz's confidence after a few weeks during which he has been firmly under the spotlight.
Wirtz's transfer fee was always going to mean that he would be scrutinized at Liverpool, particularly during the early weeks of his Reds career.
Despite his great goal against Northern Ireland, the quality of Wirtz's overall display on the night was questioned by some German media outlets, with one even suggesting he had forgotten the joy of playing soccer.