Young German talents impress in World Cup tuneup vs. Finland

• Germany 4-0 Finland (1-0)
• Goals: 1-0 Undav (34'), 2-0 Wirtz (48'), 3-0 Undav (57'), 4:0 Musiala (63')
• Attendance: 25,122

A day before Germany depart for America, Julian Nagelsmann's team comprehensively beat Finland in Mainz thanks to an outstanding performance by striker Deniz Undav. The Stuttgart forward scored twice and assisted one to help deliver the expected result.

"We can keep going like this," Nagelsmann said afterwards. "One of our strengths is that we always look like we can score."

There's not a lot to make of these games. Less than two weeks out from a World Cup is not the time to experiment tactically, and most starters are rested. These games are almost always about players avoiding injury and squad players pushing to start.

A confidence-boosting win

Jamal Musiala scored, which will be a big boost to his and the team's confidence after the Bayern Munich man's long injury layoff.

Lennart Karl was exceptional, and were it not for the post he might have a goal to his name. The Bayern teenager is pushing to start, remarkably, and in terms of squad places has moved Leroy Sane further down the pecking order.

Nathaniel Brown's attacking efforts — defensively he was hardly called into action — made Nagelsmann feel vindicated about his choice as he, too, delivered enough food for thought when it comes to which left back will start.

But otherwise, how much of true value can be taken from such a victory against the 73rd best team in the world? A brief look at recent history suggests that a pinch of salt is required.

Ahead of Euro 2024 two years ago, Germany narrowly beat Greece in an unconvincing and unsettling performance. At the home Euros though, Germany looked the best they had in years and were unlucky in their quarterfinal defeat to Spain.

Two years before that, in preparation for the Qatar World Cup, they played a friendly in Oman that they edged 1-0 but struggled in the heat and humidity of the gulf. What followed was a disaster as they failed to get out of their group with Japan, Costa Rica and Spain.

With all of that in mind, the win and performance in Mainz is great but it also doesn't necessarily mean anything in terms of how Germany will fare in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Undav keeps delivering

If anything, Deniz Undav was once again the story.

For the striker who was publicly dismissed by Nagelsmann in March despite scoring the winner, a move that the head coach later apologized for, to deliver another match-winning performance certainly makes his case to start even stronger. Furthermore, his jovial manners makes him an invaluable member of the squad as he, in some ways, has replaced the jokes and smiles that Thomas Müller once brought this group.

"If you score two goals and provide an assist, you don't play yourself out of the team," said Nagelsmann afterwards. Kai Havertz remains the starter, and his goal in Arsenal's Champions League final defeat further underlines his big-game prowess, but having Undav as an alternative off the bench is quickly beginning to look like a real boost to Germany's chances.

And so Germany will head to the airport, destination Chicago, as they prepare for one last friendly against hosts the USA before they settle into their base camp in North Carolina. From the end of that friendly to their World Cup opener against Curacao in Houston are just eight days. Germany's World Cup adventure is already up and running.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold