Germany 6-1 Northern Ireland: Serge Gnabry hits hat-trick in rout

Serge Gnabry scored a hat-trick as already-qualified Germany came from a goal down to crush Northern Ireland 6-1 in their final Euro 2020 qualifier to finish top of Group C on Tuesday.

It was a successful end to a difficult year for Germany, seeking to overhaul the team after last year's shock World Cup first-round exit and Nations League relegation.

They qualified, having won seven of their eight qualifiers and losing once to the Netherlands.

• Euro 2020 Qualifiers: Results | Tables
• Euro 2020 play-offs: All you need to know
• How the teams lined up

With qualification already sealed after Saturday's 4-0 victory over Belarus, Germany showed no nerves and quickly cancelled out Michael Smith's shock eighth-minute opener for the visitors with Gnabry's fine turn and shot in the 19th.

Leon Goretzka's 43rd-minute goal put Germany ahead before Gnabry then drilled in their third straight after the restart.

The 24-year-old winger completed his hat-trick on the hour to take his tally to 13 goals in 13 internationals. Goretzka then fired in from 20 metres to crown his own fine performance.

Germany, who also hit the woodwork, looked sharp despite a number of absentees, with the players combining well and offering fans in Frankfurt a good display.

• When and where is Euro 2020?

"It works well. We have a young team, understand each other well and we have good performances," Gnabry told reporters. "We had a good finish to the year and are showing good football.

"I am happy with my goals. I play more up front with the national team and I enjoy it. As for Euro 2020 we are going with confidence into the tournament."

Julian Brandt completed the rout in stoppage time as the Germans finished on 21 points, two ahead of the second-placed Dutch, while Northern Ireland ended the qualifying campaign in third place on 13 points and will go into the playoffs.

What's next?

Next on the agenda is the draw for the Euro 2020 finals, which takes place in Bucharest, Romania, on November 30 at 6pm GMT. You can follow the draw as it happens across Sky Sports' digital platforms or watch Sky Sports News' Euro 2020 draw show from 5.15pm.

Then, the European Qualifiers play-off semi-finals will be held on March 26, 2020 (7.45pm GMT), with the play-off finals taking place on March 31 (7.45pm BST).

Sixteen nations will be involved in the Euro 2020 play-offs, competing for the final four qualifying spots for next summer's tournament.

• Euro 2020 finals draw: Teams, date, venue and all you need to know
• Euro 2020 play-offs: All you need to know

When and where is Euro 2020?

The 16th UEFA European Championship runs from June 12 to July 12, 2020, and to celebrate the tournament's 60th birthday, 12 cities across the continent have been selected as hosts.

The 12 cities and stadiums are: Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Johan Cruyff Arena, Baku (Azerbaijan) - Olympic Stadium, Bilbao (Spain) - San Mames, Bucharest (Romania) - Arena Nationala, Budapest (Hungary) - Puskas Arena, Copenhagen (Denmark) - Parken Stadium, Dublin (Republic of Ireland) - Aviva Stadium, Glasgow (Scotland) - Hampden Park, London (England) - Wembley Stadium, Munich (Germany) - Allianz Arena, Rome (Italy) - Stadio Olimpico, Saint Petersburg (Russia) - Krestovsky Stadium.

Rome's Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match on June 12, while England's national stadium Wembley will stage both semi-finals and the final.

Here's all you need to know about Euro 2020!

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