Germany began the final phase of their preparations for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico with a win. Julian Nagelsmann’s side beat Finland 4-0 in front of a sell-out crowd of 25,500 at the MEWA Arena in Mainz. Deniz Undav opened the scoring in the 34th minute, before Florian Wirtz doubled the lead straight after the restart (48’). Undav then completed his brace (57’), with Jamal Musiala adding a fourth (63’).
Nagelsmann opted for Oliver Baumann in goal. Captain Joshua Kimmich started at right-back in the back four, with Nathaniel Brown on the left and Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck in central defence. Felix Nmecha and Aleksandar Pavlović began in central midfield, while Lennart Karl, Musiala and Wirtz formed the attacking trio behind Undav, who led the line.
Germany pinned the visitors deep in their own half from the first whistle. Finland got all 10 outfield players close to their own penalty area whenever Germany had the ball and waited for chances to counter. Undav had the first big opening inside the box in the eighth minute, but was denied by a sharp save from Lukas Hradecky. By the quarter-hour mark, Germany had recorded more than 80 percent possession, although the final spark in attack was still missing.
##### Undav scores at the third attempt
Midway through the first half, Musiala produced the first flash of inspiration and slipped in Undav, but the striker could not beat the onrushing Hradecky when clean through (27’). At the other end, Finland threatened almost immediately afterwards when Robin Lod’s deflected shot dropped onto the roof of the net (29’).
It proved no more than a brief interlude. After a neat exchange with Nmecha, Wirtz popped up in the Finnish penalty area, only to be blocked. The quickly taken corner that followed brought the opener, as Kimmich clipped a lovely cross into Undav’s path and he headed the ball down and beyond Hradecky.
The Mexican wave swept around the ground in Mainz, and Brown almost added a second before the break, but sent his first-time effort wide of the far post after Karl’s low cross (40’). It therefore remained 1-0 to Germany at half time.
##### Wirtz strikes straight after the restart
Finland were put under pressure inside their own box immediately after the restart as they tried to play out, with Undav winning the ball back and finding Wirtz centrally for a simple finish. Karl then tried his luck with an audacious effort towards the near post after a solo run, but struck the outside of the upright (56’).
Germany’s dominance continued, and a third goal soon followed. After winning the ball on the edge of their own box, Nmecha broke quickly and released Karl, who picked out Undav perfectly. Hradecky had no chance against the Stuttgart striker’s finish. Undav came off for Maximilian Beier shortly afterwards (61’), and Beier almost had a fourth Germany goal to celebrate almost immediately, only for Hradecky to keep out Nmecha’s effort (62’).
##### Musiala makes it four in style
It was not long before Hradecky was beaten again. Pavlović laid the ball off to Musiala on the edge of the area, and he found the near corner from around 15 yards out. Further changes followed, with Nick Woltemade and Leroy Sané replacing Wirtz and Karl in the 73rd minute.
Musiala was a whisker away from his second soon after, controlling Kimmich’s cross brilliantly near the six-yard box, but could only find the side-netting (79’). Nadiem Amiri also got a few minutes at his home stadium, coming on for Nmecha in the 84th minute. In stoppage time, substitutes Sané and Beier nearly added another, but both efforts were blocked on the line (90’+3).
Germany’s final friendly ahead of the World Cup will be against the United States in Chicago on 6th June (20:30 CEST).