Müller on Germany: 'A lot of pressure' after rocky qualifying start

The German national team must show a strong reaction after a rocky start into World Cup qualifying, its former forward Thomas Müller has urged.

But Müller told streaming portal MagentaTV he is convinced that the team has the will and the class to bounce back and qualify directly for next year's tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Germany lost their first qualifier 2-0 in Slovakia and then laboured to a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland. They host Luxembourg later on Friday and visit Northern Ireland on Monday before the final games in November in Luxembourg and against Slovakia.

Only the group winner qualifies directly, and the 2014 World Cup winner Müller said: "There is a lot of pressure after the internationals in September.

"Above all, I expect committed performances that show the spectators – and make the players aware – what is at stake. Namely: it's about those three points in every game," Müller said.

"There is a huge outcry, and rightly so, when Germany lose to Slovakia in a qualifying match, in a competitive match – and by a clear margin of two goals. The match never felt like it was really close at any point. We need to think about that."

Müller, 36, added that it was "to be expected in a footballing nation like Germany that there would be an outcry. Now it's happened, it's all about the reaction. About what lies ahead."

He said he he was however confident that the players can achieve a turnaround.

"I believe the lads will tackle this head-on and not only show that they can play well, but also deliver results to qualify with ease," he said.

Müller retired from the national team with 131 caps last year. He left Bayern Munich in summer to play for Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps. It was announced on Friday that he will work as a pundit for MagentaTV during the World Cup.