Good omen? Germany beat Finland before WC with Undav, Musiala goals

Deniz Undav scored a brace and had an assist while Jamal Musiala was on target on his return as Germany trounced Finland 4-0 on Sunday in their last home game before the World Cup.

Striker Undav headed the opening goal in the 34th minute, stole the ball in Finland's penalty area for Florian Wirtz to net the second in the 48th, and scored the third himself again on the counter in the 56th.

Musiala struck in the 63rd in his first Germany match in 14 months due to a severe leg injury, a goal that should boost his confidence as he still aims to regain his form of the past following the injury.

World Cup next

Germany were not always glorious against harmless visitors but now travel to the United States on Tuesday with eight straight victories.

They play a final tune-up match on Saturday against the US team before starting the World Cup on June 14 against debutants Curaçao. Ivory Coast and Ecuador are the other opponents in the group stage from which Germany want to advance for the first time since 2014.

In this respect the result may be a good omen because Germany also won in Mainz, 6-1 against Armenia, in their last home game before the tournament in Brazil where they won the title 12 years ago.

"I am largely satisfied," coach Julian Nagelsmann told broadcasters ZDF. "The result is good and we kept a clean sheet."

Happy Undav and Musiala

"We won the game and I scored two goals. It couldn't have been better," Undav said, adding that the World Cup will be a success "if we win the title."

Musiala said: "We created good chances. We didn't have many training sessions and did a good job.

"I haven't scored in a while. It gives me a good feeling also for the next games. I feel good and the 90 minutes did me good," he said.

World Cup line-up takes shape

Nagelsmann said that large parts of Sunday's starting 11 would also be his planned World Cup line-up.

Undaz started up front in place of Kai Havertz, who played the Champions League final with Arsenal the previous day and has not joined the squad yet, and made the most of it.

"The coach decides on the line-up," Undav said after raising his tally to six goals from eight caps.

Musiala returned and teenager Lennart Karl justified his first start while Nathaniel Brown also made a case for himself as the chosen left back.

Oliver Baumann was in goal again as recalled Manuel Neuer, set to be first choice at the World Cup, was rested in the wake of a calf muscle problem.s

Slow start before Undav scores

Undav had a first chance denied by the shoulder of Finland goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky off Brown's cross and Hradecky also denied the Stuttgart striker one on one in the 27th.

Germany lacked spark up front but Undav then came third time lucky in the 34th when he nodded home captain Joshua Kimmich's cross off Karl's short corner at the far left post.

Better second half

The hosts were far more determined after the break and Undav superbly anticipated a poor pass from Adam Markhiyev and slid in to direct the ball to the completely unmarked Wirtz to net for 2-0 into the left corner in the 48th.

Karl hit the outside post in the 55th and it was 3-0 two minutes later when Karl found Undav to slot his second into the right corner.

Musiala wrapped up matters into the left corner in the 63rd and Nagelsmann rang the changes, with the likes of Mainz captain Nadiem Amiri, Leroy Sané and Nick Woltemade also getting playing time.