Raum proud after first Germany goal: "It's the reward for hard work" | OneFootball

In what was his 31st cap, David Raum finally broke his international duck. The 27-year-old opened the scoring after just twelve minutes with a superb direct free-kick, curling the ball into the net to put Germany ahead in their World Cup qualifier.

Despite some inconsistency from set pieces at club level recently, Raum trusted his instincts. After consulting with Florian Wirtz - who had scored a free-kick against Northern Ireland in the previous match - the Leipzig man stepped up confidently.

"I laughed just before taking it to loosen up a bit, and then it was simply about hitting the target," Raum told ARD after the match.

"It’s a great feeling when it goes in, but also the reward for hard work. I always stay after training to practice free-kicks, so it’s extra special when it pays off."

It was the third direct free-kick goal of 2025 for Raum, who has also scored twice from similar situations for Leipzig this year. While he doesn’t model his technique on any particular player, he admitted he has "found my own style" over time.

The left-back said he had sensed something special in the air before the game:“I drove to the stadium and told our physio it was time for my first goal for Germany. I just had a feeling something could happen today.”

A special strike in a familiar stadium

The goal came at the PreZero Arena - the home of TSG Hoffenheim, where Raum spent formative years of his Bundesliga career. Although he didn’t make his league debut there, the ground remains a meaningful venue for him.

Defensively, it was also a welcome clean sheet for Julian Nagelsmann’s side after conceding in their previous seven outings.

"It was important to start well and take an early lead," Raum said. “The red card helped us, too. We were aggressive when we lost the ball - if I pick out Serge [Gnabry], for example, he sprinted back into our own half in the first half. That’s the spirit we need, no matter who we play.”

“I’ll watch it a few times this weekend”

Raum praised the team’s control, particularly at the back:"We could have played a bit better in attack and taken a couple more chances, but defensively we allowed almost nothing. Oli [Baumann] was basically jobless in his home stadium - that was our goal. We’re happy to have kept a clean sheet."

With another qualifier against Northern Ireland coming up on Monday, Raum knows exactly how he’ll spend the weekend:"I’ll probably watch the goal a few times," he laughed.

Nagelsmann is expected to rely on Raum’s "emotion and energy" again in the next match - qualities the coach praised after the left-back’s standout performance against Luxembourg.