A Klose double gave Germany a big push towards qualifying for Euro 2012, as they trounced minnows Kazakhstan 4-0 at home on Saturday to keep their unbeaten record in Group A.

The win sent Joachim Löw’s side eight points clear of the chasing pack in Group A, with Belgium, Austria and Turkey all seeking to close the gap on Tuesday. Kazakhstan remain point-less and goal-less at the bottom of the group.

“We know they weren’t a great side although they were compact and defended pretty well but I’m pleased with my goals at the beginning and the end of the game,” said Klose after the game.…

Germany extended their 100% record in Euro 2012 qualifying Group A to four games with three unanswered goals in the second half at Kazakhstan’s Ortalyk Tsentralnyi Stadium.

The visitors were heavy favourites to despatch the minnows but with the match scoreless at half-time there will no doubt have been some nerves in the Germany ranks.

Miroslav Klose finally got his side on the scoresheet three minutes into the second half, while Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski also found the target to give a more comfortable look to the scoreline.…

Mesut Ozil helped Germany to their third straight Euro 2012 qualifying win with a goal against his ancestors’ nation in a 3-0 win at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.

The Real Madrid forward scored for Joachim Low’s side in the 79th minute after Miroslav Klose had netted his fourth goal so far in the qualifying campaign in the 42nd minute. Klose then wrapped up the victory third three minutes from time.…

Denmark recovered from two goals down to grab a deserved 2-2 draw with Germany in the two nations’ first fixture since the World Cup.

Mario Gomez put Germany ahead against the run of play in the 19th minute and Patrick Helmes added a second in the 73rd.

However, Dennis Rommedahl and Mads Junker struck back to ensure that Morten Olsen’s side earned a draw in Copenhagen.

Both coaches were deprived of the majority of their regular first-team squads for this friendly match, which fell at an unfortunate time with domestic seasons on the verge of beginning and numerous players, mainly from the regular Germany squad, only just back in training following the World Cup.

Denmark’s players have had a longer holiday this summer following their early elimination in South Africa and they looked fresher early on.

Daniel Agger went close with a header in the seventh minute before a succession of dangerous free-kicks from Christian Eriksen threatened Tim Wiese’s goal.

Yet it was the visitors who went ahead with their first attack in the 19th minute.

Thomas Hitzlsperger was the provider, although his finely-threaded throughball seemed to be aimed at Toni Kroos, although it fell perfectly for Gomez to collect …

Sami Khedira’s 82nd-minute header earned Germany a 3-2 victory in a rousing and rain-soaked World Cup third-place play-off match here on Saturday. The Stuttgart midfielder rose to nod the ball beyond Fernando Muslera after Uruguay failed to clear a late corner, while Diego Forlan came inches away from a dramatic equaliser with an injury-time free-kick that struck the crossbar.…

Carles Puyol scored the only goal of the game to send Spain into the World Cup final against Holland following a 1-0 victory against Germany on Wednesday.

The Barcelona centre-back powered home a header from 8 meters from Xavi’s corner 17 minutes from time to send the reigning European champions into their first ever World Cup final. Holland reached the title game by beating Uruguay 3-2 in Cape Town on Tuesday. It means there will be a new name on the trophy for the first time since France claimed victory on home soil in 1998.…

Germany hammered Argentina 4-0 on Saturday to reach the World Cup semi-finals with goals from Thomas Müller, a brace from Miroslav Klose, winning his 100th cap, and Arne Friedrich seeing off Diego Maradona’s men.

Three-times Germany now face either Spain or Paraguay in the last four with Uruguay meeting Holland in the other semi-final.

Müller, who picked up a booking to rule him out of the semi, nodded in a Bastian Schweinsteiger free-kick after just three minutes. Although Lionel Messi strove to raise the Argentinians the Germans continued to dominate as Klose tapped in after Mueller combined with Lukas Podolski on 68 minutes.

With Chancellor Angela Merkel watching in the stands, Friedrich added the third with his first for his country in the 74th minute after a surging run and pass from Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Klose volleyed home the fourth in the 89th minute as an outplayed Argentina disintegrated to notch his 14th World Cup goal, level with German legend Gerd Mueller and just one behind record holder Ronaldo.

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Germany inflicted England’s worst World Cup finals defeat ever on Sunday after a 4-1 victory in their round of 16 game.

Germany’s superior movement and ruthless finishing made them worthy winners on an afternoon when England’s defending was shockingly inept and their talisman, Wayne Rooney, once again failed to deliver on the game’s biggest stage.

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