Germany 4-0 Finland: Initial Observations and Reactions

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HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY - MAY 28: Lennart Karl of Germany looks on during a team Germany training session at Homeground on May 28, 2026 in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Germany are preparing in Herzogenaurach for their upcoming international friendly matches, before heading out to the United States to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Fulltime Observations

  • Germany showed an extra gear in the second half. They wore down Finland and the extra space resulted in a variety of goals.
  • This was a positive first step in Germany’s World Cup journey. Finland is not a World Cup quality opponent but Germany handled them as such.
  • Germany’s substitutes looked unenergized. It didn’t matter tonight but they will need to be sharper.

Thanks for joining us! Germany will be back in action next Saturday when they take on World Cup host USA in Chicago. That will be Germany’s final friendly ahead of the opening match of this summer’s tournament.

FT: Germany wins!

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90’:Four minutes of added time.

84’: Substitution. Nadiem Amiri replaces Felix Nmecha.

79’: Substitution. Naatan Skyttä replaces Ryan Mahuta.

73’: Substitutions. Nick Woltemade and Leroy Sané replace Florian Wirtz and Lennart Karl. Samuli Miettinen and Miro Tenho replace Nikolai Alho and Leo Walta.

63’:GOOOAAALLL! Germany up 4-0. Aleksandar Pavlović lays it off to Jamal Musiala for a left-footed laser.

61’: Substitution. Max Beier replaces Deniz Undav.

58’: Substitutions. Oliver Antman, Daniel Håkans, and Joel Pohjanpalo replace Robin Lod, Topi Keskinen, and Benjamin Källman.

57’:GOOOAAALLL! Germany up 3-0. Lennart Karl leads a quick counterattack, resulting in Deniz Undav overpowering his defender for a clever flick of a finish.

48’:GOOOAAALLL! Germany up 2-0. Finland fails to build out of the back with a sliding Deniz Undav gifting an easy tap-in for Florian Wirtz.

46’: No changes from either side.

Halftime Observations

  • When the fans start doing the wave in the first half, that is not a sign of an entertaining match. Finland has showed zero threats and Germany has struggled to finish.
  • This Germany lineup is all finesse, for better or worse. It will be intriguing to see how they fare against more physically demanding opponents.
  • Lennart Karl fears no one and is clearly more effective as a right winger than Leroy Sané. It is good that Julian Nagelsmann realized this before the World Cup rather than waiting until Germany gets knocked out and everyone plays the “what if” game.

HT: Germany up 1-0 at the break.

45’: Two minutes of stoppage time…but why?

34’:GOOOAAALLL! Germany up 1-0. Lennart Karl plays a quick corner and Joshua Kimmich’s cross finds Deniz Undav for a header.

1’: LET’S GOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The rumors are true! Julian Nagelsmann is testing out an attacking midfield with Lennart Karl, Jamal Musiala, and Florian Wirtz. Karl and Musiala will be joined by three other Bayern Munich teammates in Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović, and Jonathan Tah. Nathaniel Brown will get the first crack at the left-back position. Manuel Neuer is still nursing an injury, allowing Oliver Baumann to play. Kai Havertz played in yesterday’s Champions League final, moving Deniz Undav into the starting XI.

Germany is now just two weeks to kickoff at the 2026 Men’s World Cup — and Julian Nagelsmann & co. have just two tune-up matches to prepare. Today, it will be a hosted friendly vs. Finland in Mainz; next week, against the USMNT in Chicago.

After months of sometimes uneven build-up, it is time to see where this Germany team is on the cusp of the tournament. Follow along below and join in for live match discussion with the rest of the Bavarian Football Works community!

Prediction

Germany 2-1 Finland. You just know there is going to be a ghastly defensive mishap early that rings the alarm bells for Germany, followed by a good 65 minutes of solid possession while struggling to make the incisive final third breakthrough. In the end, the pressure will be too much but leave questions to be answered.

But that’s what these games are for: working out the kinks. Who knows? Perhaps Germany will surprise, hit the ground running and look like a well-oiled machine.

Team News

Kai Havertz is busy with scoring goals in the Champions League Final, as he does, and Manuel Neuer is unavailable as he deals with his calf injury. The rest of the German squad should be available, but that will be two big misses for Julian Nagelsmann, requiring changes at both the center-forward and goalkeeper positions.

Could this be a chance to try out the attacking trio of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and Lennart Karl? Will it translate with an alternate striker, and could this also be an opportunity for Deniz Undav to grab the reins at the No. 9?

Match Info

Location: Mewa Arena, Mainz, Germany

Date: May 31st, 2026

Kickoff: 8:45PM Local time | 2:45PM EDT | 11:45AM PDT

TV/streaming: Fox Sports 2, Find Your Country

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