Armenia 1-4 Germany: 5 talking points as Die Mannschaft wrap up qualifying campaign in style | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Germany thumped Armenia 4-1 in Yerevan on the final matchday of their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to wrap up their campaign on a high note. Kai Havertz opened the scoring in the 15th minute, with Ilkay Gundogan then netting twice, including a penalty, before Jonas Hofmann rounded off the rout.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan pulled one back for the hapless hosts through a penalty in the 59th minute. But it was nowhere near enough, as Armenia's campaign ended with a fourth-place finish.

The Mountaineers started with three wins from three, but then failed to win any of the next seven. They never looked likely to get anything from this one either, with Die Mannschaft simply a class apart on the night.

Hansi Flick's side ended the qualifiers with 27 points from a possible 30. They can look forward to beginning their preparations for the Qatar showpiece from March 2022.

On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game:

---

#5 Jonas Hofmann could be Germany's solution to right-back woes

The Borussia Monchengladbach star was a class act.

Germany may have finally found the panacea to their right-back woes in Jonas Hofmann, who had another terrific game.

He ran down the flank with tremendous energy, and showed excellent dynamism in attack. Hofmann assisted Havertz for Germany's opener following a nice one-two with Thomas Muller.

The Borussia Monchengladbach star then got on the scoresheet himself in the second half. He latched onto a poor backpass from Mkhitaryan before steering a shot past the Armenian goalkeeper.

At 29, Hoffman is currently in the prime of his career, and has the potential to develop even further under the tutelage of Hansi Flick.

---

#4 Armenia lacked end product on the counter

Armenia's counter-attacks fizzled out.

In a lopsided opening half, Germany were in cruise control. The Mountaineers, meanwhile, only produced a few flickers on the counters. But in the second half, Armenia executed their plan with considerable improvement, although their end product was still lacking.

Khoren Bayramyan arguably came closest, but fired his effort into the side netting. Armenia's intermittent counters died out completely after Germany's fourth goal of the night.

Against much weaker sides, they might as well have pulled back one or two more, as there was promise. But the pressure put by Germany simply rattled Armenia.

#3 Germany need Kimmich and Goretzka to succeed

Gundogan was the only standout performer in Germany's midfield.

Sure, Ilkay Gundogan netted twice on the night, but Germany cannot rely on this midfield. They need Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka to succeed.

Florian Neuhaus, who started alongside Gundogan at the base of their midfield, conceded a penalty. In the process, he showed that he's still rough around the edges. David Raum is still too inexperienced to be trusted in the big games.

Overall, Germany's midfield was static and not particularly creative. The central players lacked momentum, and often struggled to cope with Armenia's off-the-ball pressing.

---

#2 Armenia's promising campaign ends in a whimper

Armenia's FIFA World Cup hopes fizzled out spectacularly.

Back in March, Armenia were leading Group J over Germany. They had won their opening three games to make their best-ever start to a qualifying campaign. But as expected, the side failed to keep up that momentum. They failed to win any of their next seven games, losing four times.

After collecting all nine points from their first three games, the Mountaineers added only three more to their tally from the rest of their campaign to finish fourth. It was a disappointing collapse indeed, as Armenia's bubble soon burst. In the process, all hopes of reaching their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals died a slow death.

---

#1 Germany back among the favourites?

Germany could be a force again under Flick.

It wasn't their greatest performance by any means imaginable. But Germany have certainly improved under Hansi Flick, with plenty of room for more.

Without many of their first-team stars, Die Mannschaft still managed to apply incredible pressure on the visitors, although their defence remains a concern. With the FIFA World Cup another 12 months away, fans can only hope to see the side iron out those weaknesses.

Germany have had an admittedly easy group, with no side strong enough to put up a sustained challenge. But they have made real progress since the start of the campaign.

How far can they go now in the competition proper in a year's time?