Germany recorded a resounding 6-1 win over Armenia in their final World Cup warm-up match, but lost Marco Reus to what could be a twisted ankle in a goalless first half.
After the break Henrikh Mkhitaryan equalised Andre Schurrle's neat opener with a penalty before Germany tore Armenia apart in a 20-minute spell.
Goals from Lukas Podolski, Benedikt Howedes, Miroslav Klose - his 69th for Germany to become their leading scorer - and a Mario Gotze brace saw the hosts to a comfortable victory.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Good evening football fans. We have Germany's final World Cup preparation game for you tonight, as Joachim Low coaches his first match since naming his 23. Interestingly, there is only Miroslav Klose as a genuine striker, which means we will likely see lots of fluid midfield movement from one of the favourites.
Without further ado, let's take a look at who is playing for the two sides shall we? Spoiler: or maybe not... no striker for Low's side.
GERMANY XI: Weidenfeller; Boateng, Mertesacker, Hummels, Howedes; Lahm, Khedira; Reus, Kroos, Schurrle; Muller
ARMENIA XI: Berezovsky, Haroyan, Mkoyan, Arzumanyan, Hayrapetyan, Yedigaryan, Hovsepyan, Manucharyan, Mkhitaryan, Ghazaryan, Movsisyan
So that isn't half an interesting lineup from Low in his side's final warm-up game for the World Cup. There are five defenders and five midfielders on the pitch, with four of said defenders centre-backs. Oh, and the right-back will be playing in midfield. Jerome Boateng will be on the right, with presumably Benedikt Howedes on the left. It's a change from their usual marauding full-backs, that's for sure.
In terms of the attack it's Thomas Muller, rather than Mario Gotze or Miroslav Klose, up front and there is also no space for Mesut Ozil, who is on the bench. Philipp Lahm and Sami Khedira prop up the midfield ahead of the attacking trio of Marco Reus, Andre Schurrle and Toni Kroos. It's a big game in particular for Kroos and Schurrle, I'd say.
There is also German interest in the Armenia lineup, as they visitors' far and away best player is Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who plays for Borussia Dortmund. Really, Germany should be expecting to win this one comfortably but looking at Italy's draw with Luxembourg last night you just never know.
Germany, remember, are in the very tricky Group G which, alongside Group D, is the group of death. They have Portugal in what is a very exciting looking opening game for them on the 16th, and they will certainly need to improve from what we have seen in the last two games.
A peek at the odds with just five minutes to go until kickoff tells us that, of course, Germany are the massive favourites. The best you'll get by backing them is 1/10, while if you fancy the unlikely away win you can get 33/1. The draw is 12/1 and again seems unlikely to me - more so looking at the Germany lineup, however...
PREDICTION: You might not be surprised that I'm backing a Germany win here tonight. Realistically it should be anywhere between 2-0 and 6-0, but I'm going for a perhaps slightly conservative 3-0. The attacking players on display should be too much for the Armenia defence.
KICKOFF: Here we go then. The away team, in red, get things underway.
Not a bad start at all from Armenia. They almost work a chance as Mkhitaryan gets the ball in the middle and plays wide to Ghazaryan, whose cross is out of play. Then there's an even better chance for Ghazaryan, who completely mishits Mkhitaryan's cutback! He probably should have scored, and Germany look a shambles at the back early on.
Movsisyan almost works a chance up front, but he's eventually crowded out. At the other end Ghazaryan concedes a corner and this could be a chance for the hosts...
Now Germany are getting on top, with Muller, Kroos and Schurrle beginning to combine nicely. Still no real chances for the home side, however, but you sense one is coming.
CHANCE! Schurrle might have done better there. There's some nice build-up with Reus and the Chelsea man combining. The ball goes wide for Boateng to cross, but Schurrle, who is free in the middle, can only plant his header wide.
Armenia just cannot hold on to the ball at the moment and Germany are buzzing around them now. Reus looks to be fouled as they come forward, but nothing is given. On the break, however, the hosts win it back.
OFF THE LINE! So, so close for Reus. He probably should have scored, but after Muller played him through it was a good save by Berezovsky, before it was hooked off the line by a retreating defender.
Schurrle and Reus are switching flanks, with the Chelsea man at the moment operating from the left. The Reus chance a few moments ago is still by far and away the best of the match as this one is reasonably well poised.
The pace of the game has slowed a little as Germany just pass the ball around. Eventually a pass is astray from Kroos and the move breaks down.
CLOSE! Not a bad effort there from Kroos, as he cuts on to his right foot and strikes not too far over the bar. Berezovsky did have it covered though, and let it over the bar.
It is a packed penalty box that Germany are trying to break through at the moment. The ball keeps coming left and right but up to now Armenia have held them off pretty well. They are resorting to ambitious efforts as Lahm chips one wide from the corner of the box.
Armenia still chasing the Germany passes as we go into the second part of this first half. Boateng tries an angled cross from deep but it goes out of play with no-one attacking it at the far post. That would have been a decent ball should Klose or Mario Gomez been up front.
More passing around the edge of the box from Germany, but still they cannot quite find a way through. It's another shot from outside the box from Muller, but this one is blocked and runs through comfortably for Berezovsky.
CLOSE! Decent effort from a corner there from Boateng. Reus puts it to the near post but the defender just cannot turn it on target as it goes just wide of the near post.
It's edging towards half time and still Germany are yet to break the deadlock. It is a good test of them so far, as some teams in the tournament may look to shut up shop against them. Muller miscontrols in the box and another chance is gone.
Some of the Armenian players are looking a little tired and they are hoping the next nine minutes fly by. They have worked hard to keep out Germany so far, can they keep doing so until 45 minutes?
Injury here to Ghazaryan, who is currently receiving treatment for a clash with I think Kroos. He's off the pitch but should be ok to see out the rest of the half.
Schurrle is almost played in over the top by Kroos, but the linesman's flag goes up against him - not for the first time. He was wrong before, but this time it looked correct. Boateng absolutely rips through Ghazaryan there, and that's a yellow card in a competitive match!
Reus is in pain here, and this doesn't look good in truth. He went down after what looks like a twisted ankle - this could be bad new for Germany. He doesn't look comfortable at all.
GERMANY SUB: And in place of Reus, who was limping as he was helped off the pitch, comes Arsenal's Lukas Podolski. I'll let you know when I hear anything RE Reus.
HALF-TIME: Germany 0-0 Armenia
Well Germany are being held at the break by the unfancied Armenia, despite having one or two decent chances. The more worrying thing for them, though, will be the potentially serious ankle injury to Reus, who was subbed off just before the break after landing awkwardly on it.
Armenia keeper Berezovsky has made one or two decent stops from close range - both against Reus, in fact. Other than that it has been an exhibition in how not to hit the target from Germany - Schurrle with a glorious headed chance from eight yards and Boateng also put one wide from the near post at a corner.
Armenia certainly have not been out of it - they started very well indeed. As well as defending stoutly, Ghazaryan missed a really good chance in the opening few minutes as he sliced at a Mkhitaryan cutback, who had got in behind.
We await to hear news on Reus, but while we do let's take a look at one of tonight's better players. Schurrle, aside from missing the header, has looked the most likely apart from Reus to get in behind on the left, right or through the centre. Muller has left his shooting boots at home, but surely these players will combine for a goal or two in the second 45?
KICKOFF: we are back underway for the second half then, what can Germany produce here?
Reus, incidentally, has headed off to hospital for a checkup on that ankle. Whether that means it is bad or not is not yet clear, but hopefully for Germany's sake it's just precautionary.
Also at the break Mesut Ozil came on for Lahm. Germany have got straight back into the passing pattern, but no further chances as yet. Again it's booted straight back to them whenever Armenia win the ball.
GOAL! Germany 1-0 Armenia (Andre Schurrle)
It took a while, but that's a really good German goal. Podolski is played through out wide on the left and his low ball into the middle is clipped past the keeper via the heel of Schurrle. Totally deliberate, that, and Schurrle gets the goal that his performance deserves. He's really pushing for a place.
Can Armenia respond? They have been tight at the back so far, but will run the risk of opening up if they try for the equaliser. They have a free kick around 40 yards from goal, with Mkhitaryan standing over it...
Decent effort there from Khedira. It came to him around 20 yards out but his low strike was comfortably stopped by Berezovsky. At the other end Manucharyan's shot is deflected behind for a corner.
GERMANY SUB: On comes Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is in need of some match fitness, as he replaces Khedira.
Germany continue to dominate possession in the Armenia half, and Boateng almost produces a spectacular goal from around 20 yards on the volley, but it goes narrowly over the bar. Superb effort.
CHANCE! Huge chance at the other end! Mkhitaryan does brilliantly to drive forward and play Manucharyan to his right, but the chance is scuffed as he strikes over the bar. He really should have at least tested Weidenfeller.
OFF THE POST! Oh Ozil should have scored there! It's a superb flowing move, as Ozil is played clear with a brilliant back-heel from Schurrle, but he clips the outside of the post. That deserved a goal.
GERMANY SUBS: Kevin Grosskreautz and Klose come on for Boateng and Muller respectively. That's some genuine width at full-back now and a proper striker - Germany's play may alter slightly now.
PENALTY TO ARMENIA!
GOAL! Germany 1-1 Armenia (Henrikh Mkhitaryan, pen)
Clumsy, clumsy challenge from Grosskreutz there. Ghazaryan sells him a stepover and is then brought down by the man who has just come on. Mkhitaryan sends his teammate Weidenfeller the wrong way and suddenly there's a surprise draw on again.
GOAL! Germany 2-1 Armenia (Lukas Podolski)
The man who has set up three of Germany's last four goals finally gets one himself. It's a brilliant first-time pass through to him by his club teammate Ozil, and the winger makes no mistake from a tight angle with a left-footed finish. That's excellent football from the hosts.
GOAL! Germany 3-1 Armenia (Benedikt Howedes)
That should settle matters. Howedes, out of position on the left tonight, meets an absolutely delightful chip into the box from Schweinsteiger, but sees his header saved. However, he pokes in the rebound and suddenly it's 3-1 to the hosts. A couple of changes as Sarkisov comes on for Armenia and Schurrle makes way for Gotze.
GOAL! Germany 4-1 Armenia (Miroslav Klose)
Germany's all-time leading goalscorer! Klose grabs 69 to become to record scorer for Germany, and it's a typical diving header from a left-wing cross. Simple, but so effective.
You just knew he was going to score, didn't you? He always does. Klose surpasses the great Gerd Muller to become his country's top scorer. What an honour for the evergreen striker!
It's liquid football now from Germany as Armenia cannot get a look in. Grosskreutz will be relieved that his error did not cause problems, but this attacking display is much more the Germany that we have become used to seeing.
GOAL! Germany 5-1 Armenia (Mario Gotze)
The subs have completely changed this game. Ozil does well on the edge of the box to find Podolski, who plays Gotze in through a defender's legs. The Bayern man pokes it in low and it's another breathtaking German goal.
As good an impact sub as Podolski is, he just has to start if Reus is unfit, doesn't he? They look like scoring every time they go forward at the moment, but Gotze just has the ball pinched away from him in the box.
SAVE! Good stop there from Weidenfeller, who palms the ball over the bar from a decent strike from the edge of the box by Ghazaryan. Along with Mkhitaryan, he has been Armenia's best player.
GOAL! Germany 6-1 Armenia (Mario Gotze)
It's another goal from Gotze and Low really does have a selection dilemma against Portugal. Grosskreutz did well initially and Podolski almost scored from his cross. After a scramble Gotze kept his cool to dance around Berezovsky and slam into the net.
FULL-TIME: Germany 6-1 Armenia
Well that was not a bad half of football! We had seven goals, loads of brilliant attacking football and a new German top goalscorer. Many of the subs today really will be pushing for a start against Portugal in 10 days' time.
There was bad news in the first half as Reus suffered what looks like a twisted ankle, but there was enough in the second half to suggest that they might still have a chance without him.
Thanks for joining me tonight. The next we will hear from Germany will be after the World Cup has got underway! Excited? Me too. Until next time, it's goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
