Thomas Müller back among the goals as Germany warm up for Euro 2020 with Latvia rout
Thomas Müller scored his first international goal in over three years and Manuel Neuer won his 100th senior cap as Germany swept aside Latvia in their final warm-up game for the UEFA 2020 Euros.
Müller and former Bayer Leverkusen whizz Kai Havertz set the tone with a couple of early warning shots. It was one-way traffic from thereon in, though the opener didn’t come until the 19th minute, when Robin Gosens put away Havertz’s fine pass into the box. Ilkay Gündogan whipped in a second barely two minutes later, before Joshua Kimmich grazed the outside of the woodwork. Müller got in on the act with a routine finish from Gosens’ measured cross, with Latvia goalkeeper Robert Ozols inadvertently adding a fourth in an attempt to intercept Havertz’s dangerous cut-back. Serge Gnabry capped a punishing first-half display with the pick of the goals, the Bayern Munch forward volleying in Mats Hummels’s audacious long pass to hand Germany an unassailable lead.
Joachim Löw gave Havertz and Gnabry a breather at the start of the second half. Timo Werner and Leroy Sane entered the fray in a move that made dividends almost immediately. Kimmich was allowed all the time in the world to pick out former VfB Stuttgart youth-level teammate Werner, who calmly poked through the legs of Ozols. Kimmich set up another promising opening for Sane soon after, but the Bayern man could not direct the ball on target. Latvia substitute Aleksejs Saveljevs rifled in from 18 yards to deny Neuer a celebratory clean sheet, only for Sane to restore order within seconds following a quick interchange involving Werner and Müller. Reigning world champions France are next up for the three-time European championship winners in their Euro 2020 Group F opener in Munich on 15 June.
Match stats
Müller scored his first Germany goal since a March 2018 friendly draw with Spain. He's struck 39 times in 102 internationals.
Neuer is the 13th player in Germany history to reach 100 international appearances, albeit the first goalkeeper. He has kept 43 clean sheets, whilst conceding 95 goals.
Jamal Musiala is the youngest player in Germany's Euro 2020 squad. The 18-year-old won his third senior cap.
Gnabry has scored 16 goals in 21 senior international appearances.
Sane has seven goals in 29 games for Germany.
Gosens opened his Germany account in his seventh outing for Die Mannschaft.
The 18-year-old Bayern talent replaces Mr. Bayern, Thomas Müller. It's his third senior international outing since declaring for Germany earlier in the year. Müller is all smiles, after scoring his 39th Germany goal on his 102nd appearance for the three-time Euro winners.
We have a blot to Germany's copy book as Latvia substitute Aleksejs Salveljevs punts an unstoppable strike past Neuer from 18 yards. There goes the celebratory clean sheet for the Germany centurion.
It's as you were in Düsseldorf, though Germany are not in any real urgency to add to their commanding lead. Kimmich at right-wing-back could be the way to go against France next week. He's done everything asked of him tonight.
65'
CLOSE!
Kroos plays a peach of a pass onto the toe of Kimmich. He looks for Sane, but the Bayern forward can't make it count from six yards.
61'
FRESH LEGS
Freiburg's Christian Günter wins his third Germany cap, with the impressive Robin Gosens making way at left-back. Dortmund midfielder Emre Can and Bayern defender Niklas Süle are also on for Ilkay Gündogan and Antonio Rüdiger respectively.
Latvia enjoy a welcome spell of possession, but the Germany rearguard isn't remotely troubled. A quiet way for Neuer to make his 100th senior international appearance, that's for sure!
50'
THE JOY OF SIX!
Timo Werner sticks the ball through the legs of Ozols from close range after the Latvia defence allowed Kimmich all the time and space in the world to pick his cross. That one's made in VfB Stuttgart, the two players having come through the south-west German club's vaunted academy.
Utterly professional stuff from Germany - and a real morale-boosting display. Goalscorers Gnabry, Müller, Gündogan and Gosens have all been excellent - as has Havertz. Latvia have barely been out of their own half.
Half-time
45'
GNABRY!!!
Serge Gnabry puts away his 16th goal in 21 senior international appearances. He thrashes the ball home on the volley after being played in over the top by a trademark searching ball from centre-back quarter-back Mats Hummels. That's why Joachim Löw recalled the Dortmund defender!
The Bundesliga's leading assist provider for two seasons running sets up Germany's fourth. It's a slick ball into the feet of Havertz, who goes round Oss and cuts a pass back into the danger zone. Ozols can only help it into his own net.
Moments after Kimmich grazes the woodwork, Germany add a third. Gnabry sends Gosens away down the left. His cross is measured to perfection, and Müller has the simple task of turning it home from six yards. That's his first Germany goal for over three years!
Kai Havertz is the architect for Germany's opener with a lovely run and pass into the left-hand side of the Latvia box for Gosens to sink his first international goal. Ilkay Gündogan doubles up two minutes later, whipping in a superb effort from 14 yards after his attempted pass had been blocked back into his path by a Latvia shirt.
Ginter makes in-roads up the right and whips in a cross that the Latvia defence doesn't deal with. The ball falls to Gnabry, but he's not expecting it too and can't direct the ball on target- though he was in an offside position, anyway.
7'
GERMANY IN CONTROL
The home side have made a very confident start. They're dictating the play, and moving the ball about the Latvia half with purpose.
3'
KIMMICH THE RIGHT-BACK
Hansi Flick recently stated Joshua Kimmich can become the world's best player. He's been playing in his favoured midfield role for club and country in recent seasons, but operated at right-back at the 2016 Euros. The Bayern terrier lines up at right-wing-back tonight...
2'
CHANCES
Ginter plays in Müller, but he doesn't quite catch it right and it's easy for the goalkeeper. Germany come again with Havertz, who flashes an effort wide.
1'
UNDER WAY!
The ball's rolling in Joachim Löw's final international friendly as Germany coach. The 61-year-old is stepping down after the Euros, remember...
ANTHEMS
The hosts belt out 'Das Lied der Deutschen'. Kick-off is imminent...
FANS IN ATTENDANCE
A total of 1000 supporters will wave Germany off at Fortuna Düsseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena. In the coming weeks, Die Mannschaft will play all three of their Group F fixtures at Munich's Allianz Arena - one of 11 continental venues for the delayed finals. A quarter-final tie is also scheduled to take place in the Bavarian capital on 2 July.
NEUER'S CENTURY
Neuer is the 13th player in Germany history to reach 100 international appearances, albeit the first goalkeeper. The Bayern and Germany captain has kept 43 clean sheets, whilst conceding 94 goals in his previous 99. He enters the fray to a guard of honour. Absolute legend.
NEXT GEN INSPIRATION
Lukas Nmecha was the hero as Germany beat Portugal to win the European U21 Championship for the second time in four years on Sunday. They also went the distance in 2009, when a team featuring future FIFA World Cup winners Neuer, Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Benedikt Höwedes, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil hammered England 4-0 in the decider.
LATVIA IN FOCUS
Latvia warmed up for the game in Düsseldorf by beating Lithuania 3-1 in the semi-finals of the Baltic Cup. The visitors are 138th in the FIFA world rankings, some 126 places behind Germany, whom they've never beaten (D1, L2).
IT'S MÜLLER TIME!
Müller earned his 101st senior cap against Denmark, two years, six months and 15 days after last representing Germany in UEFA Nations League action. The Bayern Munich forward has scored 38 times for his country, but not since a friendly draw with Spain in March 2018.
LÖW MAKES FOUR CHANGES
Antonio Rüdiger replaces Niklas Süle in Joachim Löw's three-man defence. The former Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart man is joined by fellow 2020/21 UEFA Champions League winner Kai Havertz, who gets the nod ahead of Leroy Sane in attack. Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gündogan come into the midfield, with Florian Neuhaus and Lukas Klostermann making way. Joshua Kimmich shifts wide right, while goalkeeper Manuel Neuer earns his 100th senior international cap.
It's eight days until Germany kick off their UEFA Euro 2020 campaign against world champions France. After being held to a 1-1 draw by Denmark, the three-time European champions take on Latvia in their final warm-up fixture. Stay tuned...
