Germany captain Michael Ballack has said he will fight to win back his place in the national side, despite being left out of the squads for the last two Euro 2012 qualifiers and picking up a new injury on Saturday.

The 33-year-old missed the World Cup with an ankle injury and sat out this month’s Group A wins over Belgium and Azerbaijan as he recovers his fitness.

The midfielder injured his knee in Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw at Hannover on Saturday, and on Sunday it was announced that he had actually fractured his left knee cap.…

Here are all the goals from Germany’s Euro 2012 qualifying game against Azerbaijan

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Germany continued their smooth start to Euro 2012 qualifying with a comprehensive victory over Berti Vogts’ Azerbaijan in Cologne.

Substitute Heiko Westermann made the breakthrough in the 28th minute and goals from Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose in first-half stoppage time made the result safe.

Rashad Sadygov’s own goal eight minutes after the interval stretched the hosts’ advantage and, although Vagif Javadov pulled one back four minutes later courtesy of an error by Manuel Neuer, further goals in the final five minutes from Klose and Holger Badstuber sealed the rout.

Germany are now top of Group A with 2 wins and a superior goal difference.…

Video highlights from the Euro 2012 qualifying match against Belgium yesterday.

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Germany started their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a hard fought 1-0 victory against Belgium in Brussels. Friday’s victory gives Joachim Loew’s side the best of starts in Group A but the World Cup semi-finalists Germany were some way from the form they showed in South Africa in July.

The Belgian hosts were the better team in the first half and had it not been for a couple of good saves by Manuel Neuer Germany would have found themselves a goal or two down. Germany showed a lot of respect to Belgium’s young stars.

However, veteran striker Miroslav Klose struck six minutes after the interval with Germany capitalizing on a mistake by central defender Daniel van Buyten. Bastian Schweinsteiger grabbed possession and passed the ball to his Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Mueller who set up Klose for his 53rd goal for Germany.…

Joachim Löw, coach of Germany’s national football team, confirmed Wednesday that veteran midfielder Michael Ballack will remain his first-choice captain despite being left out of their opening Euro 2012 qualifying games.

Ballack, 33, has been dropped for the first two games against Belgium in Brussels on Friday and Azerbaijan at home four days later as he continues his recovery from the ankle injury that kept him out of the World Cup.

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