Germany vs Latvia. International Match.
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Match report and highlights as Germany warmed up for Euro 2020 by thrashing Latvia 7-1; Robin Gosens, Ilkay Gundogan, Thomas Müller, Kai Havertz and Serge Gnabry were all on target in the first half; Timo Werner and Leroy Sane netted after the break
Monday 7 June 2021 22:22, UK
Germany scored five first-half goals on the way to a 7-1 demolition of Latvia on Monday, completing a successful dress rehearsal for their European Championship campaign starting next week.
With Manuel Neuer becoming the first German 'keeper to reach 100 caps, the hosts were firing on all cylinders from the start and set a dizzying pace, Thomas Müller and Kai Havertz going close in the opening 90 seconds.
Champions League-winner Havertz then played a perfect one-two with Robin Gosens, who fired home in his first international in the 19th minute.
Goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Müller quickly made it 3-0, the latter scoring his first goal since his return to the team last month following more than two years out.
The Germans showed none of the conversion problems that had plagued them in recent years and Havertz added another when his shot was deflected into the net by Latvia keeper Roberts Osols.
Serge Gnabry also got on the scoresheet on the stroke of half-time, firing in from a superb Mats Hummels cross before substitute Timo Werner flicked in five minutes after the restart to make it 6-0.
Latvia grabbed a consolation goal through Aleksejs Saveljevs's fierce left-foot strike, before Leroy Sane restored the hosts' six-goal advantage with a simple tap-in.
Germany kick off their Euro 2020 group matches against world champions France in Munich on June 15, before playing European champions Portugal and then Hungary in Group F.
Euro 2020 kicks off on Friday June 11 - just 19 days after the conclusion of the 2020/21 Premier League season - and runs until Sunday July 11.
The 2021/22 Premier League campaign will start on the weekend of Saturday August 14 - 34 days after that Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
Clubs will be able to start planning for the new term when the top-flight fixtures are released at 9am on Wednesday, June 16 but transfer business can start in earnest before then, with the summer transfer window opening on Wednesday June 9.
The 2021/22 Championship season begins a week before the top-flight one on the weekend of Saturday August 7. All Sky Bet EFL fixtures will be announced at 9am on Thursday June 24.
