by Oliver Trust

BERLIN, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Germany has found a new weapon on its road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with five of its eight qualifying goals coming from set pieces.

After scoring his first international goal in a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland, striker Nick Woltemade praised the team's progress in dead-ball situations. "It can help you increase your win rate," he said.

At Euro 2024, more than a quarter of all goals came from set pieces, a statistic that appears to have influenced the four-time World Cup winners. In Germany's recent qualifiers against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland, four of the five goals came from free kicks or corners.

Much of that success has been attributed to set-piece coach Mads Buttgereit, a 40-year-old Dane who joined the national team setup in 2021 to improve efficiency in those situations.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side still needs to create more chances from open play, but emphasized that strong set pieces can make the difference against defensively organized opponents.

"That's an efficient way to win tight games," said full-back David Raum. Nagelsmann added that set-piece training has become a vital part of the team's preparation.

"I don't want to reveal all of our tactics, but this makes us more unpredictable as a team," Woltemade said.

Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz have been practicing free kicks and corners more frequently and are regarded as the team's "special forces" in that area. "We've increased the work on that," Nagelsmann said, noting that the subject has become a regular talking point among players and staff.

Facing compact, physical opponents like Northern Ireland, Nagelsmann said, set pieces can often unlock a game. "It can be a can opener," he said. "We've experienced that in the last few matches."