[score]
[team1]Germany[/team1][score1]3[/score1]
[team2]Republic of Ireland[/team2][score2]0[/score2]
[/score]
The Republic of Ireland will have to pull off a flawless second half to claw back the deficit against Germany in Essen.
The German women are 3-0 up at the break, with goals from Marina Hegering, Dzsenifer Marozsán and Lea Schüller.
Hegering opened the scoring in the 8th minute, putting Vera Pauw’s side on the back foot from the offset.
Marie Hourihan was given little chance of putting a stop to a screamer from Marozsán in the 38th minute, with Schüller’s goal in the 41st minute adding insult to injury, trickling over the line.
The girls in green are looking to qualify for their first major international tournament, currently sitting at the top of Group I, having won four of their previous qualifiers prior to the outbreak of Covid-19.