Head coach Joachim Low praised Germany's "mental strength" following their 2-0 win over Northern Ireland .
Goals from Marcel Halstenberg and Serge Gnabry earned Germany a spirited victory at Windsor Park.
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill described the game as a "wasted opportunity" for his side, with Conor Washington and Stuart Dallas letting the hosts off the hook with missed chances.
Low believes Germany deserved their win at a raucous Windsor, and described the Euro 2020 qualifier as another important learning curve for his players.
"It was a very difficult 90 minutes against a Northern Ireland team that played very attacking football," Low said.
"It was difficult for us to get into the game in the first half. Northern Ireland pressed very hard, but I thought we improved in the second half.
"It was a very difficult game and we are very pleased to have won the match."
Low and his players endured a media backlash following Friday's 4-2 defeat to Holland in Hamburg.
With the German national side going through a transitional period following last year's dismal World Cup in Russia, Low admits it will take time for his players to gel.
"This is a team that hasn't played together and they must learn to play themselves into form and get to know each other's game well," he added.
"They need to get to know each other's style. We will look at our players and each phase of their game as we progress through the qualifiers."
"Northern Ireland tried to break up our play tonight, and they found gaps in the first half. In the second half they played with tempo and speed but we replied.
"I think we gave them too much room in the first half. They are strong in the air and we had to combat that."
"Our players were tired after the effort they put in, but they were clever in the game.
"I think it was a fair result.
"We needed a good, strong mentality and willpower against a strong, hard-working Northern Ireland team who played a physical game.
"It was a different game tactically than against Holland, and it was one that tested our mental strength as well as our physical strength."
Northern Ireland boss O'Neill believes Low's new-look German side has the potential to "achieve great things" in the coming years.
He has also tipped them to qualify for next summer's Euro finals.
"I think this German team is in its infancy. It is a new team, but it has the potential to achieve great things," he said.
"I thought Gnabry was terrific tonight, and also the quality of Werner. I thought we played Toni kroos very well tonight.
"There is a lot of potential in this squad. Germany showed their quality tonight.
"I think sometimes in football you can overreact to a bad result, and perhaps that happened following Friday's defeat to Holland.
"I anticipate seeing Germany at Euro 2020 and I think they will be strong."
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