Germany hotshot Thomas Muller gave an unsuspecting bystander a taste of the shooting skills that have him favourite for the Golden Boot in this World Cup.

The German forward was practicing with team-mates and decided to take a shot with no goal in sight.

Instead the ball went straight for a table-full of people in a shaded area beside the pitch. Some saw it coming and ducked but the ball connected cleanly with the side of one man’s face.

The player saw where the shot was going before it even hit the man, and was already jogging over to wave an apology.

But his victim was left rubbing his cheek and ear and giving his head a quick shake to check everything was in working order.

Given that Muller has already scored three times in the tournament, we are willing to bet his ear stayed stinging for quite a while!