Thomas Müller shouted out his joy. Although he had recently described the Nations League games as friendlies in a better guise, he was delighted with his 3-0 goal against Italy. In the last game of the long season, the 32-year-old and his teammates once again mobilized all their strength and managed a strong 5-2 win before the summer break.

After the last four draws in a row, Hansi Flick’s team impressed against the Italians. The national team was particularly enthusiastic on the offensive. “We played braver up front and took the risk of losing the ball. We created chances by pressing. But we still have all sorts of deficits, we have to be aware of that. But we also have everything to be able to beat anyone on a good day,” said Thomas Müller.

Müller was just as satisfied as his coach. “I have to pay the team a huge compliment. That was a real stress test for all of us after the previous draw. I’m happy for Timo Werner that he scored two goals, that’s extremely important for a striker,” said Flick. It’s great to say goodbye to the holiday with a win: “We’re looking forward to the World Cup and then we’ll see which adjustments we still have to make.”

Although Italy, which did not qualify for the World Cup, is in a state of upheaval, captain Manuel spoke of an important success: “The victory is meaningful. This is an important milestone. In view of the World Cup, it is now important that we can regenerate,” said Manuel Neuer.

Like his captain, Ilkay Gündogan was looking forward to his vacation after a long and exhausting season: “We played really good football at times and created a lot of chances. If we do it like we did today, many teams will have a hard time against us. Now it’s time for the summer break, it’s been a long and tough season.”