The China Mail - Undav eases Germany past Finland in World Cup tune-up

Handed a rare start with Champions League finalist Kai Havertz yet to join the set-up, Undav terrorised the outclassed Finns alongside 18-year-old Lennart Karl on his Germany debut.

Undav was subbed out with injury just after scoring in one possible setback on an otherwise comfortable night for the Germans.

Jamal Musiala, playing his first Germany match since March 2025 after missing much of the season with a broken leg, scored on his return, while Florian Wirtz also got on the scoresheet.

Finland, ranked 73rd in the world, were little match for the four-time World Cup winners, who have one final friendly before the tournament remaining.

The Germans play World Cup co-hosts the United States in Chicago on Saturday, before opening their campaign against Curacao on June 14.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann shuffled his deck in Germany's final home friendly, handing Undav, Nathaniel Brown and Felix Nmecha rare starts, while naming Karl in the XI for the first time.

Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who was given a shock recall almost two years after announcing his international retirement, sat the game out with a calf injury with understudy Oliver Baumann named between the sticks.

The energetic Karl, 18, impressed early, cutting in from the right. With eight minutes gone, Brown found Undav but the Stuttgart striker's shot was saved by Finland goalie Lukas Hradecky.

Undav gave Germany the lead with 34 minutes gone. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich looped in a delightful cross from the right directly to Undav, who headed home.

Early in the second-half, Undav pounced on a poor Ville Koski pass and cut square for Wirtz to tap home.

Just before the hour mark, Undav was in the thick of things again when he burst onto a Karl pass and cooly slotted home, but was subbed out with injury immediately after.

Playing his first Germany match for 434 days, Musiala added gloss to the victory when he blasted in from just inside the box with 63 minutes gone.

A.Sun--ThChM