Lukas Podolski scored one goal and set up two more to lead Germany, already safely qualified
for Euro 2008, to a 4-0 win at home to Cyprus in their penultimate Group D match on Saturday.
Germany, beaten 3-0 by Czech Republic in Munich last month but still with hopes of topping the group, took the lead in the second minute when Podolski beat three men and crossed for Clemens Fritz
to head in at the far post.
Fritz set up the second with a cut-back to give stand-in captain Miroslav Klose his 36th Germany goal in the 20th minute. Shortly after the break Podolski turned the ball home from close range to make it 3-0 and the Bayern Munich man capped a fine display by setting up Thomas Hitzlsperger for a tap-in eight minutes from time.
Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann ensured he would celebrate his 50th cap with a clean sheet when he made a sharp save from Konstantinos Makridis late on.
EC-Qualifier Germany - Cyprus, Hannover, November 17, 2007
The only remaining issue in the group is whether it is won by the Germans or Czechs, who are also through to next year's finals in Austria and Switzerland. Germany play Wales in their final qualifier in Frankfurt on Wednesday.
More information on the National team can be found here.
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Lukas Podolski scored one goal and set up two more to lead Germany, already safely qualified
for Euro 2008, to a 4-0 win at home to Cyprus in their penultimate Group D match on Saturday.
Germany, beaten 3-0 by Czech Republic in Munich last month but still with hopes of topping the group, took the lead in the second minute when Podolski beat three men and crossed for Clemens Fritz
to head in at the far post.
Fritz set up the second with a cut-back to give stand-in captain Miroslav Klose his 36th Germany goal in the 20th minute. Shortly after the break Podolski turned the ball home from close range to make it 3-0 and the Bayern Munich man capped a fine display by setting up Thomas Hitzlsperger for a tap-in eight minutes from time.
Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann ensured he would celebrate his 50th cap with a clean sheet when he made a sharp save from Konstantinos Makridis late on.
EC-Qualifier Germany - Cyprus, Hannover, November 17, 2007
The only remaining issue in the group is whether it is won by the Germans or Czechs, who are also through to next year's finals in Austria and Switzerland. Germany play Wales in their final qualifier in Frankfurt on Wednesday.
More information on the National team can be found here.
