News Focus
- Germany will face Finland again on Monday following Sunday’s 4-0 victory
- The second clash will be a shortened training match lasting only 40 to 50 minutes
- Julian Nagelsmann aims to give minutes to players who did not feature in the first game
- The squad travels to the United States on Tuesday for their final World Cup preparations
Julian Nagelsmann has sprung a surprise by announcing a second friendly against Finland. The Germany head coach revealed the plan immediately after his side thrashed the Finns 4-0 on Sunday evening.
The rematch will take place on Monday. However, it will not be a full 90-minute contest. Instead, the two teams will play a shortened training game consisting of two 20-minute or 25-minute halves.
Nagelsmann explained that this extra fixture gives vital playing time to squad members who sat on the bench or saw limited action on Sunday. Some players have not had a competitive match for two weeks, and the German boss wants them to find their rhythm before the World Cup starts.
“We are very happy that the Finns agreed to this,” Nagelsmann told ZDF. A small number of lucky fans who won tickets will attend the closed-door session.
The German squad will fly to the United States on Tuesday. Their final warm-up match takes place on Saturday against the USA, who are co-hosts of the upcoming World Cup tournament.