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The Merkur Spielarena in Düsseldorf hosted Germany's final international friendly before Euro 2020, as Die Mannschaft locked horns with an injury-ravaged Latvia side. Joachim Low named a strong starting XI and his players delivered the goods in some style, as they recorded a stunning 7-1 victory at home.
Germany dominated proceedings right from the get-go and created a flurry of chances in the opening exchanges, as they got a lot of joy in the wide areas. Robin Gosens broke the deadlock with his first goal for his country, as he rifled home a left-footed shot after being teed up by Kai Havertz.
The three-time European champions added four more goals before half-time through Ilkay Gundogan, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry, while their third goal of the night went down as a Roberts Ozols OG after a clever piece of play from Kai Havertz.
Timo Werner and Leroy Sane got their names on the scoresheet as second-half substitutes, while Aleksejs Saveljevs' audacious volley turned out to be a mere consolation for the away side.
As Germany made a massive statement of intent ahead of Euro 2020, here are five talking points from the game.
#5 Kai Havertz continues rich vein of form
Fresh from scoring the winner in the UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City, Chelsea's record signing Kai Havertz produced another eye-catching display, this time for his country. The elegant midfielder showed his class on the ball with a few neat touches and was heavily involved in Germany's build-up play.
Havertz played his part in Gundogan's wondergoal and was also instrumental in his side's third goal, as his right-footed shot from close range found its way into the back of the net via a deflection. The 21-year-old's unique skill set could come in handy for Germany, as he looks set to retain his place when Die Mannschaft take on France in a star-studded clash next week.
#4 Germany dominated the wide areas against a hapless Latvia side
With Robin Gosens and Joshua Kimmich stationed as wing-backs ahead of a three-man backline, Germany looked irresistible at times and wreaked havoc against an injury-ravaged Latvia side.
Gosens is coming on the back of a sensational season with Atalanta in Serie A, having scored a staggering 11 goals in all competitions as a left-wing back. The 26-year-old broke his international duck with a well-taken goal from inside the penalty area, indicating that he could well be Low's X-factor at Euro 2020.
As for Kimmich, he was heavily involved in the build-up and played a few delightful crosses into the Latvia penalty area. In the past three years, Germany have struggled to find their preferred formation. However, the current 3-4-3 set-up could seemingly bring the best out of their squad at Euro 2020.
#3 Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels justify recalls to the Germany squad
Joachim Low opted to recall Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller to the Germany squad after a long hiatus and the pair justified their return to the team with impressive displays. Muller got his name on the scoresheet and troubled the Latvia backline with his movement inside the penalty area, as he looks set to play a key role for Die Mannschaft in the games ahead.
Hummels, on the other hand, marshaled his backline expertly and played a few delightful passes, one of which led to a goal from Serge Gnabry in the first half. Germany have struggled to satisfy expectations in recent years, but their current squad has a mix of youth and experience and could be a force to be reckoned with at Euro 2020.
#2 Manuel Neuer become 13th German player to reach 100 caps
Ahead of kick-off, Manuel Neuer was greeted with a guard of honor, as he earned his 100th cap for Germany. The Bayern Munich icon is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and is still going strong at the age of 35, as he looks set to lead his side at another major tournament.
Neuer became the 13th German player to reach a century of caps for his country, as he joined teammate Toni Kroos in the 100 club. The legendary goalkeeper failed to mark the occasion with a clean sheet, but he was untroubled apart from Aleksejs Saveljevs' wondergoal.
Euro 2020 could be one of Neuer's last major tournaments with Germany, so the 35-year-old will look to roll back the years and get his hands on the European Championships to add to his CV.
#1 Germany have goals peppered across their squad
Germany don't have a world-class striker to lead the line at Euro 2020, but Joachim Low has a handful of goalscorers in his squad. Thomas Muller is a World Cup Golden Boot winner and is coming on the back of an impressive season in front of goal for Bayern Munich, while the likes of Timo Werner, Leroy Sane, Kai Havertz and Serge Gnabry are also capable of finding the back of the net.
Additionally, Ilkay Gundogan enjoyed his best-ever season in front of goal, as he played a pivotal role for Manchester City in what was another successful season for Pep Guardiola and co. Robin Gosens got his name on the scoresheet on the night and recorded a whopping 11 goals as a wing-back for Atalanta in the 2020-21 season, indicating that he is also capable of getting in on the act.
Germany's squad isn't as star-studded as it was a few years ago, but they are blessed with players who boast decent numbers in front of goal.
