Ireland no match for slick Germans

Republic of Ireland 0 Germany 4

Shackling a visiting side that featured two players with first-team experience at Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund was always going to be a tough task for the Irish in this UEFA qualifier and what was the heaviest defeat of Noel King’s three-year tenure.

The hosts made a bright start, with Aidan O’Brien up front causing Antonio Rudiger plenty of problems, but that optimism was punctured on 12 minutes in Germany’s first attack.