Germany beats Azerbaijan 6-1 in qualifying

Germany beats Azerbaijan 6-1 in qualifying

Published Sep. 7, 2010 10:11 p.m. ET

Miroslav Klose scored twice Tuesday as Germany routed Azerbaijan 6-1 for its second victory in qualifying for the 2012 European Championship.

Defender Heiko Westermann scored in the 28th, Lukas Podolski doubled the lead in the 45th and Klose added the third in first-half injury time.

An own-goal by Rashed Sadygov made it 4-0 in the 53rd before Azerbaijan found the right net in the 57th through a huge mistake by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who fumbled a corner cross from Vagif Javadov.

Holder Badstuber's header in the 86th made it 5-1, and Klose completed the victory in injury time.

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Klose pulled level with Franz Beckenbauer with 103 Germany games. Only three others have played more games - Lothar Matthaeus (150), Juergen Klinsmann (108) and Juergen Kohler (105).

Klose' two goals gave him 55 in a decade of playing for Germany, second on the all-time list behind Gerd Mueller with 68. Klose also scored the only goal in Germany's 1-0 win in Belgium at the start of its Group A qualifying.

''We are still warming up, we are still not at our best so early in the season,'' Klose said. ''We got more confidence at the World Cup, but it's important to make the next step now.''

In its first game at home since finishing third at the World Cup in South Africa, Germany dominated from the opening whistle, with Azerbaijan often fielding all 11 men behind the ball.

Azerbaijan goalkeeper Kamran Agayev made a tremendous reflex save on the line, stopping Westermann's header off a corner after 25 minutes as Germany stepped up the pressure.

But Westermann, an early substitute for the injured Per Mertesacker, scored two minutes later after being set up by Klose following a cross from Philipp Lahm. Westermann's first effort from three meters out was blocked by Agayev, but Westermann fired the rebound into the roof of the net.

Klose nearly doubled the lead in the 33rd with his backheel from close range, but Agayev again saved, this time with his foot.

Germany's dominance finally paid off at the end of first halftime with two late goals.

Podolski swapped passes with Mesut Oezil to split open the Azeri defense and slotted the ball inside the left post.

In injury time, Klose was set up by Podolski and scored unmarked from close range.

Sadygov diverted a cross from Sami Khedira into his own net before Neuer's mistake gave Azerbaijan its only goal.

Germany finished strong with two late goals.

''We passed the ball very well,'' Germany coach Joachim Loew said. ''We did not stop attacking even after scoring the first three goals. They defended very deep, in their own penalty area.''

Azerbaijan's German coach, Berti Vogts, said his team was ''too passive.''

''Germany is in another league,'' Vogts said.

Germany and Turkey both have two wins in their first two qualifying games in Group A.

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Lineups:

Germany: Manuel Neuer; Sascha Riether, Per Mertesacker (Heiko Westermann, 11), Holger Badstuber, Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger (Cacau, 78), Thomas Mueller (Marko Marin, 62), Mesut Oezil, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose.

Azerbaijan: Kamran Agayev; Maksim Medvedev, Rashad Ferhad Sadygov, Sasha Yunisoglu (Vurgun Huseynov, 56), Elnur Allahverdiyev, Vagif Javadov, Mahir Shukurov, Vugar Nadyrov (Araz Abdullayev, 86), Rail Melikov, Alexandr Chertoganov (Rashad Abulfaz Sadygov, 64), Samir Abbasov.

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