Florian Wirtz is set to feature for Germany against Northern Ireland and Luxembourg this month, however the ‘easy fixtures’ may not be enough to kickstart his season.
Why ‘Easy’ Germany Fixtures May Not Be Enough to Kickstart Florian Wirtz
Liverpool star Florian Wirtz is yet to live up to his hefty £116m price tag, with many rival fans dubbing the German talent a ‘waste of money’ after a tough start to the campaign.
Since providing an assist in the Reds’ season opener against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, which they lost on penalties, Wirtz has failed to register a goalscoring return.
That’s nine consecutive matches without a goal or an assist for Arne Slot’s side.
This includes seven Premier League matches and two Champions League matches.
He came close to assisting in the win over Atletico Madrid in Europe, in which Diego Simeone was sent off for clashing with Liverpool fans, however Mohamed Salah struck the post from close range after receiving the ball from the 22-year-old following a quick counter attack.
Amid his poor run, Wirtz has dropped to the Liverpool bench on two occasions already this term.
He did so for the Merseyside derby win over Everton earlier in the month, before featuring as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at the weekend. That loss extended Liverpool’s losing streak to three consecutive matches across all competitions.
Looking to build some form ahead of Manchester United’s visit following the internationals, Wirtz is set to feature for Germany against Northern Ireland and Luxembourg over the next week.
Many would consider these fixtures as ‘easy’ for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, however they may not be enough to kickstart Wirtz’s season, and here’s why.
Wirtz Unable To Carry International Form Over to Premier League
Even if Wirtz is able to register a goal involvement while away on international duty, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be able to translate that form over to the Premier League.
This was proven off the back of last month’s internationals.
Wirtz starred in September’s World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, netting in his side’s 3-1 win, but he followed that up with arguably his worst performance yet for the Reds vs Burnley.
Liverpool were held to a goalless stalemate until a 95th minute Salah penalty snatched all three points right at the death at Turf Moor, with Wirtz being withdrawn after 87 minutes.
It was a similar story in the summer. He scored in Germany’s 2-1 defeat by Portugal in the Nations League semi-finals but started the season in underwhelming fashion for his new club.
Germany Out of Form Ahead of Double Header
To add to Wirtz’s woes, Germany are in poor form ahead of September’s double header.
They have won just two of their last seven competitive matches across all competitions and kickstarted their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 loss against Slovakia last month.
That result was the first time they had EVER lost an away game in World Cup qualifying.
Although they are expected to win both matches, given their recent form, Germany may struggle against Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. In turn, opportunities in front of goal will likely be reduced, which may lead to Wirtz’s poor run being extended even further.
Germany take on Luxembourg on Friday, 10 October, before facing Northern Ireland on Monday, 13 October, with Reds fans set to keep a keen eye on their big-money summer signing.
