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

#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.

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#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.

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#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?