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World Cup preparations continue for Germany this Sunday night as they welcome Finland to the MEWA Arena in Mainz for a tasty international fixture.
Having failed to get out of the group in their last two World Cup appearances, the pressure is on Die Mannschaft to turn things around in North America.
Finland, on the other hand, failed to qualify for this summer’s tournament, but they will be looking to give a good account of themselves against a top opponent.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Germany vs. Finland key stats
- Germany have only managed one win from five previous meetings with Finland.
- The Germans head into Sunday’s game on the back of a seven-match winning run.
- Finland have picked up four wins since the start of 2025, including a high-profile victory over Poland.
Germany vs. Finland preview: Hosts under pressure to deliver
Germany vs Finland — Squad Comparison
| Germany | vs | Finland |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | FIFA Ranking | 73 |
| Manuel Neuer – 124 | Most Caps | Lukas Hradecky – 103 |
| Leroy Sane – 16 | Most Goals | Joel Pohjanpalo – 19 |
| 812 | Total Caps | 551 |
| 98 | Total Goals | 51 |
| 0 | Uncapped Players | 1 |
Germany have made some great strides forward when you compare their recent form to last year’s abysmal four-match winless run.
Defeats to Portugal and France last summer were somewhat understandable, but a shock 2-0 loss to Slovakia in their World Cup qualifying opener signalled alarm bells for manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Germany managed to shake off that defeat and went on to win all their remaining five qualifying games to secure top spot in their group.
Nevertheless, that run of victories still included some worrying performances, none more so than their measly 1-0 win in Northern Ireland and their 2-0 victory over Luxembourg.
Since the end of qualifying, Die Mannschaft have picked up a couple of friendly victories over Switzerland and Ghana, with two more games to come before the start of the World Cup.
Nagelsmann will be missing a couple of names for Sunday’s encounter, with Manuel Neuer currently nursing a calf injury and Kai Havertz busy with Champions League duties for Arsenal.
When it comes to Finland, their veteran goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky is set to make his 104th appearance for the national team.
The Fins will also be hoping to cause some damage in attack, primarily through former Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburger SV striker Joel Pohjanpalo.
Unlike Germany, Finland failed to secure their spot in the World Cup after finishing third in their qualifying group – behind Poland and the Netherlands.
The Huuhkajat have never competed at a World Cup before, and considering they finished 10 points behind the group leaders, they were not remotely close on this occasion.
It is important to note that Finland did look competitive mid-way through the qualifying campaign, sitting level on points with second-placed Poland at one stage.
However, three defeats from their final four matches saw their chances crumble in disappointing fashion.
Finland now turn their attention to the upcoming Nations League campaign in September, and a positive result against Germany would certainly give them a lot of fresh confidence.
Germany vs. Finland form guide & betting tips
| Germany | vs | Finland |
|---|---|---|
WWWWW |
Form | LLWWL |
| 15 | Goals For | 7 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 6 |
WWWWW |
Form (All Comps) | LLWWL |
Whispers predicts: Germany 2-0 Finland
Germany will be looking to continue their momentum ahead of the World Cup, and we are backing them to get the job done against Finland this Sunday.
Die Mannschaft offer little value in the outright market, but you can back them with a -1 handicap at around 9/50. This bet has landed in three of their last four competitive games.
Germany to win to nil is another smart play, with the odds currently priced at around the 21/25 mark. This bet was successful in Germany's last four World Cup qualifying games.
The correct score market offers the most value, with the bookies giving 13/2 odds on Germany to win the match 2-0.
> Germany -1 handicap at 9/50 | Likelihood: Probable
> Germany to win to nil at 21/25 | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct score Germany 2-0 Finland at 13/2 | Likelihood: Outsider