Germany’s preparations for the World Cup continued in encouraging fashion as Julian Nagelsmann’s side secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Finland in their first pre-tournament friendly.
With the exception of Kai Havertz, who was involved in Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League final, the entire squad has now joined the national team camp and completed several days of training ahead of the tournament. The clash against Finland offered Germany their first opportunity to translate those preparations onto the pitch.
The Mannschaft delivered an impressive display, cruising to a comfortable win thanks to goals from Deniz Undav (2), Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. The performance left head coach Julian Nagelsmann satisfied with both the execution and the outcome.
“The guys implemented the match plan very well, we started well, the first 15 minutes were excellent,” the former Bayern Munich head coach explained in a post match interview. “In the second half, we also defended deeper at times, and then scored a counter-attacking goal, which is good for us. The result is good, we didn’t concede a goal, so we should carry on this way.”
While Germany were widely expected to overcome Finland, the performance nonetheless provided a positive platform as the team continues its World Cup build-up. Nagelsmann’s side will now turn its attention to a tougher test against tournament hosts the United States on Saturday, their final friendly before the competition gets underway.
