By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

"We shouldn’t overreact" – Matthäus downplays Lennart Karl hype after Finland display

Lothar Matthäus is wary of reading too much into Lennart Karl's impressive performance for Germany against Finland.

Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Lennart Karl was one of the standout performers in Germany’s 4-0 friendly win over Finland on Sunday, impressing with an assist and several eye-catching moments.

However, Germany legend Lothar Matthäus is wary of overhyping the 18-year-old Bayern Munich prodigy based on a performance against a team sitting 73rd in the FIFA rankings.

“Lennart Karl, just like Deniz Undav with his two goals, played his way into the spotlight. But we shouldn’t overreact,” Matthäus wrote in a column for Sky Deutschland.

“It was a friendly against Finland, not a World Cup match against Ecuador where things will be very different. The positive takeaway is that Nagelsmann has plenty of options. The squad has many high-quality players who can be used depending on the opponent.”

The 65-year-old also stated he was delighted to see Jamal Musiala get on the scoresheet, as the midfielder continues to build confidence and rhythm following a long injury layoff.

“I was particularly pleased with Jamal Musiala’s goal for the 4-0 final score. Many people don’t realise what it’s like to come back from such a serious injury. Either you trust and support him, or you leave him out entirely. Julian Nagelsmann is doing the former – he trusts Musiala, because the national team coach knows what he is capable of. Every goal and every personal success helps him and moves him forward,” Matthäus wrote.

As for the central midfield pairing, Matthäus was impressed by what he saw from Aleksandar Pavlović and Felix Nmecha.

“In central midfield, Pavlović and Nmecha started and did their jobs well. Nmecha in particular is, for me, a player who brings everything needed for the No. 8 role. He is physically strong, technically strong, and can carry the ball through midfield at high speed. Nmecha is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world,” he stated.