Test match in Mainz
Goal flurry after the break: DFB-Elf leads Finland
Updated on May 31, 2026 – 10:45 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Especially in the first round, the German team had a difficult time with the guests from Scandinavia. But then the knot breaks. A DFB professional stands out.
The German national team said goodbye to the USA with a confident victory in the last home game before the World Cup. National coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team beat Finland 4-0 (1-0) in Mainz, had a difficult time with the guests in the first half of the game, but found their game better after the break.
Deniz Undav became the match winner on Sunday evening with two goals (34th, 57th) and an assist for Florian Wirtz (48th), Jamal Musiala scored the final score (63rd).
Before their first game at the World Cup (June 14th), the DFB team will face co-hosts USA next Saturday (June 6th).
That’s how the game went
The spectators were put in the mood long before kick-off with World Cup hits from previous years. When the DFB selection entered the arena to warm up at 8:11 p.m., there was cheering. Later, the spectators presented a great choreography: They bathed the west stand in German colors and held up a banner with eight national players. “LET’S GO” was written underneath in large letters.
And the team struggled to implement the requirement straight away. Undav missed a first good chance (8th) when he didn’t hit the ball correctly in the penalty area. Wirtz and Nathaniel Brown, who somewhat surprisingly started on the left side of the defense, had a remarkable combination forward.
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However, Germany followed the good start with several minutes of idleness. The team hardly found any gaps and played slowly forward. The fans still watched the game extremely favorably. The demoted goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who started for the returnee Neuer with a calf injury, received a lot of applause when he first touched the ball and was greeted with chants in the final phase.
Worried about Undav?
But the spark didn’t fly for the time being. Ultimately, a standard had to help: Karl took a corner kick briefly, the Finns’ defense was disorganized – and so Undav was allowed to head in a cross from Joshua Kimmich.
In general, Karl scored on the right side: the 18-year-old played just as relaxed and carefree as he did in the club. He was a bright spot in a tough first half. Nagelsmann was visibly dissatisfied with his team and took corrective action several times.
