Leon Goretzka scored twice in the opening eight minutes as world champions Germany beat Mexico 4-1 to reach the Confederations Cup final.
Man-of-the-match Goretzka found the net in the sixth and eighth minutes, Timo Werner got the third in the 59th and substitute Amin Younes a fourth in stoppage time in front of a 37,923-strong crowd in Sochi's Olympic Stadium.
"We couldn't expect it from this team but it fought and won and deserves to be in the final," Germany coach Joachim Loew told broadcasters ARD.
"The group has really become a unit.
"It was important that we started so well and imposed our game on Mexico."
Marco Fabian scored a spectacular late consolation goal for Mexico.
The German "perspective team", with many world champions left at home to rest and young talent tested instead, will bid for the nation's first Confederations Cup title on Sunday against Copa America winners Chile in St Petersburg.
The two teams met in the group stage last week, drawing 1-1.
"Our goal was to reach the final. Now we want the title as well," Goretzka said.
Mexico, who dominated parts of the game against Germany, wrap up their campaign on Sunday in the match for third place against European champions Portugal in Moscow.
"We offered them too many chances but the result is unfair, we deserved a better result," Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio said.
"The team kept fighting."
The Germans were on fire early on and opened the scoring with Goretzka firing into the bottom left corner from just outside the area off Benjamin Henrich's low cross.
It was 2-0 less than two minutes later as Schalke's Goretzka beat Guillermo Ochoa again, this time from closer range after a defence-splitting pass from Werner.
Leipzig forward Werner was denied by Ochoa in the 19th but Mexico, who had also trailed in all three group games, finally raised their game and started to threaten against a suddenly passive German side.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved well with his right foot from Giovani dos Santos in the 33rd and two minutes Javier Hernandez cleared the bar from point-blank range.
Germany regrouped after the break, and Werner tapped into the empty net for 3-0 in the 59th, off Jonas Hector's cross after nice work from captain Julian Draxler.
The Gold Cup winners continued their search for a goal, and after Raul Jimenez's header against the crossbar they got it in the 89th when Eintracht Frankfurt's Fabian unleashed from 30m into the top right corner.
But the Germans had the final word when substitute winger Younes slotted home in stoppage time, 10 minutes after coming on.
"The players have taken another step," Loew said.
"There was pressure before the games but they got through difficult stages.
"That's the experience they gain in such matches."
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