It was a mixed night for the Germans as they ran out 2-1 winners against a spirited Greece side on Friday.
The first 15 minutes of the game saw the two sides trade blows, but the Piratiko took control and peppered Manuel Neuer’s goal consistently.
Eventually, they capitalised on a mistake made by the Bayern Munich goalkeeper, as Neuer failed to hold onto the ball following a fairly tame effort, and Giorgos Masouras had the simplest of tasks to put his side a goal ahead.
Germany tried to force their way back into the game for the remainder of the half but did not really trouble Odisseas Vladchodimos in the Greek goal.
There was Kai Havertz's goal which was correctly ruled out as the Arsenal forward was in an offside position but other than that, there was not much to write home about.
The second half saw Julian Nagelsmann’s team continue to put pressure on the Greek backline without much success.
Just shy of the hour mark, the Germans found a way through and equalised through Havertz, whose finish was a smart one.
The next 30 minutes persisted of Germany desperately searching for a winner, while the Greeks played it cool and tried to exploit the space that the European Championship hosts left at the back.
But with a minute left in the game, it was an absolute peach from Pascal Gross which spared Germany’s blushes as they ended their Euro 2024 preparations on a high.
So, what did we learn from the fixture?
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The other teams in Group A should not fear Germany
Germany are far from perfect and this game showed that. At times it looked as though the left-hand side did not know what the opposite flank was doing, leading to confusion on the pitch.
It felt as though there was a lack of familiarity with their game plan, which caused problems in this game.
It should be said that, due to them being the hosts of the upcoming tournament, Germany have not played any competitive football since the 2022 FIFA World Cup and at points when watching them, you can tell.
The Germans do not seem to defend as a unit but, rather, as individuals. Greece scored one on the night but could have very easily had more had they shown a bit more composure in front of goal.
Should any of the other teams from Germany’s group have watched this game, they would have been buoyed by the success that the 2004 European Championship winners found against Nagelsmann's side.
The mere sight of Germany has been enough to terrify sides in the past, but this is not a side that should be feared, but rather a team that is very beatable, even to lesser opponents.
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There is an argument that Manuel Neuer should not be starting
Neuer is not just a legend of German football, but also of world football.
He has been between the sticks for his nation for well over a decade and there is a strong argument that he is the best goalkeeper to ever play the game.
With all that being said, it has not been the best season for the former Schalke shot-stopper. In 23 Bundesliga games this season, Neuer has only kept 6 clean sheets.
That is the least amount of clean sheets he has kept in a season where he has played more than 20 league games in his career.
Along with the lack of clean sheets, there have been several high-profile mistakes, as well as one against Greece.
The argument for keeping him in the starting line-up has always been his ability with his feet, but that skill is now commonplace among elite goalkeepers.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is coming off the back of a brilliant campaign for Barcelona and his presence looms large on the bench. There will be a large contingent of German supporters who will be hoping to see Ter-Stegen during the competition.
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Germany would be lost without Toni Kroos
It is truly inconceivable to think that after this summer, Toni Kroos will call it quits on the sport and walk off into the sunset.
It is even more unbelievable when you think that he seems to be the best player in every game he plays at the moment.
That was no different at Borussia-Park, where he was simply sensational and was at the heart of everything that Germany did well in the game against Greece.
His set pieces were fantastic and always caused chaos in the Greek box. The former Real Madrid playmaker completed the most passes on the pitch and created the most chances within the game.
Germany have a lot of good players who can play in the middle of the pitch, but if they are going to have a successful summer, they are going to have to look towards the indomitable Kroos.
He and Robert Andrich played very well together and put forward a strong argument to be the starting two for the opening fixture against Scotland.
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Germany showed a lot of spirit
There has (quite rightly) been a lot of criticism of Nagelsmann’s side but it has to be said, they showed a lot of character in this game.
In patches of the match, they looked terrible, and it appeared the Greeks were going run a mock on them.
But they really pulled themselves together and showed a lot of character over the course of the 90 minutes.
While the side are not as good as they have been previously, they are incredibly resilient. That attribute will stand them in good stead for this competition, where they will face some hard times.
