Scotland manager Gordon Strachan insists it will be a whole new ball game when Germany line up in a competitive match.
The world champions were sent crashing back down to earth by Argentina the side they beat in the final to claim their crown in Brazil in a friendly in Dusseldorf on Wednesday night.
The Argentinians raced into a 4-0 lead and had new Manchester United man Angel Di Maria running riot before the hosts grabbed two goals to make the scoreline just a little less embarrassing.
Strachan watched with great interest as Germany were well beaten just four days before they welcome the Scots to the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund to open Euro 2016 qualifying Group D.
However, he played down the relevance of the 4-2 defeat and suggested the home team will ring the changes for the visit of his side.
“I watched the game and it was a celebration of football and a friendly,” said the national coach.
“We saw some lovely football but it will be different in a competitive game. They will be a different side.
“It was interesting to some of their younger players and some of their new players but I think we will see the older players back on Sunday.
“However, I don’t think they will play any differently in terms of their system. Like most sides, it’s all about the quality of the player you have in it.
“I could play the same system using players from the Scottish third division and I could use the same system and players from the Premier League and it would be different.
“I’m not saying the guys they played the other night are like that, but that’s what happens. Better players make the system better.”
As for his own approach to what will be a huge test, Strachan added: “What I have said to the players that not everything we are doing is just to play against Germany.
“It is about repeating what we have done over the last year or so. A lot of the coaching has been for the campaign that is coming, not just this one game.
“We have had this shape over the past 14 months,” said Strachan. “I had an idea what I wanted to do when I first came in, then realised that it wouldn’t work, so we tried this.
“We have had additions to the squad that have made it a little bit different. We now have Steven Naismith, Chris Martin and Steven Fletcher, which is a good three if you want a target man.
“They have movement and bring people into play so that’s a bit different.”
Strachan admitted that he would have been more fearful of what may lie ahead in Dortmund had the game been nearer the start of his time in charge.
He feels enough progress has been made particularly in away games to allow the Scots to be upbeat about the qualifying campaign.
“If you had asked me to play Germany right after the Wales and Serbia games, that wouldn’t have been fun,” he said.
“In terms of retention of the ball and bravery on the ball, the shape is easier for the players to understand from the first two games I had.
“This is a challenge because of what has happened over the last 14 months and the group we have got together means it has become a challenge that we can achieve.
“We are getting close to a position where everybody in our team can handle the ball when they get it,” he continued. “If you can handle the ball, you can keep it longer and the other team don’t have it. So I like that.
“It’s about having the confidence to play and not to dismiss the ball.”
Strachan hinted he was delighted to get back doing the day job after spending a large chunk of the summer in Brazil as a TV pundit, admiring the Germans among others.
“I didn’t mind Rio that was good fun!” he said. “That was just fantasy football but this is real and I enjoy it. I enjoy meeting up with football people and I like coaching players. It has been good.
“We’ve got a challenge but we aren’t fazed by that challenge. We are looking forward to it.”
The Scots may be relishing the prospect of taking on the world champions but the manager was quick to shoot down any notion that they needn’t bother too much about the result because of the quality of the opposition.
“We have plenty to lose,” he said. “It doesn’t work that way, simply saying ‘but it is Germany.’ It’s never great to lose.”
It is especially not great to lose 7-1 as was the fate of host nation Brazil when they met the Germans in the World Cup semi-final, however Strachan couldn’t guarantee that a heavy defeat will be avoided by the Scots in the Westfalenstadion.
He said: “I can’t make sure it doesn’t happen. All I can do is prepare properly and make sure that we know what we are doing when defending and have no fear when we get the ball back.”