Liverpool star sends 'difficult' warning to Florian Wirtz after slow start to life at Anfield

Liverpool star Conor Bradley is out to give Florian Wirtz a ‘difficult’ night as the pair clash on the international stage. Germany take on Northern Ireland in World Cup qualifying on Sunday evening, meaning Bradley and Wirtz will be on opposing sides.

The game represents a crucial one for both sides and their hopes of securing a place at next summer’s tournament. Germany are currently bottom of the group after falling to defeat against Slovakia. Wirtz endured a tough outing in that game, with the German having also had a slow start to life at Anfield following his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen. And Liverpool teammate Bradley is now out to extend his club teammate's woes despite being aware of the midfielder’s quality.

Talking ahead of Sunday’s showdown, Bradley said: “Florian's a top player. There's a reason we bought him for the money we did.

"He's obviously had a brilliant few years at Leverkusen and now he's come to us, and I think he started the season really well. He's really good with the ball, he's really creative and he's not scared to take a few risks with the ball as well.

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"He's a top player and I know it's going to be a difficult night for me but hopefully I can make it a difficult night for him too."

While Germany had a poor start to qualifying, Northern Ireland got off to a perfect start, beating Luxembourg in their opening game. And another win against Germany would send a real statement.

"It's going to be a really difficult test. Germany are one of the top nations in the whole world," Bradley added. "They've got some top players, so it's always nice going up against top players and seeing where you're at compared to them.

"Obviously with the result the other night for them, they're going to be bang at it from the start so we've got to stick together and I think we're in with a good chance."

Meanwhile, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has warned his stars - including Wirtz - that they are not guaranteed a place in the side. He said: "We picked the best players in Germany, but maybe we have to put less importance on quality and more on players who will give it all out there. We did not show any emotionality in our game today.

"In terms of emotions, the opponents were miles ahead of us. We want to go to the World Cup, but today we were miles away from that. The first five minutes of the second half were a bit brighter, but the rest was pretty grim.

"I trust my team, but they have to understand that simply being a better player than the opponent is not enough if you don't show willingness and desire. You won't get results with the handbrake on."

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