Miroslav Klose kept Germany on course for a place at next year's World Cup with two second-half goals to seal a 4-0 win over Azerbaijan on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old Bayern Munich star has now scored 47 goals for his country to put him joint third amongst Germany's goal-scorers and level with legends Jürgen Klinsmann and Rudi Völler.
With Russia winning 3-1 against Wales in Cardiff, Germany lead
Group Four by a point from their rivals - who they face in Moscow
on October 10. "We have done what we set out to do, now it will go down to the wire," said Ballack. "The game in Russia will be the most difficult of the whole qualification campaign.
Ballack scores on 13 minutes
The best chance of the opening stages fell to Werder Bremen's
Özil when the 20-year-old broke through but fired his shot at
goalkeeper Kamran Aghayev. It was only a matter of time before Germany got the first goal and it came soon after when Bayern's Gomez threaded a pass through the defence for Köln's Podolski. He was brought down by the Azerbaijan defence and Ballack slotted home the spot kick on 13 minutes.
Germany vs Azerbaijan, Hannover, September 9, 2009
After the break, Löw made a change with Klose - the top scorer at the 2006 World Cup - replacing Gomez as the lone striker. The move paid off as Klose hit his 46th goal for Germany on 55 minutes after Azerbaijan had their captain Samir Abbasov sent off five minutes before for a second yellow card offence.
Klose showed a poacher´s instinct when he scored his second on 66 minutes before Podolski slotted home his shot on 71 minutes as Germany re-exerted their authority.
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Miroslav Klose kept Germany on course for a place at next year's World Cup with two second-half goals to seal a 4-0 win over Azerbaijan on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old Bayern Munich star has now scored 47 goals for his country to put him joint third amongst Germany's goal-scorers and level with legends Jürgen Klinsmann and Rudi Völler.
With Russia winning 3-1 against Wales in Cardiff, Germany lead
Group Four by a point from their rivals - who they face in Moscow
on October 10. "We have done what we set out to do, now it will go down to the wire," said Ballack. "The game in Russia will be the most difficult of the whole qualification campaign.
Ballack scores on 13 minutes
The best chance of the opening stages fell to Werder Bremen's
Özil when the 20-year-old broke through but fired his shot at
goalkeeper Kamran Aghayev. It was only a matter of time before Germany got the first goal and it came soon after when Bayern's Gomez threaded a pass through the defence for Köln's Podolski. He was brought down by the Azerbaijan defence and Ballack slotted home the spot kick on 13 minutes.
Germany vs Azerbaijan, Hannover, September 9, 2009
After the break, Löw made a change with Klose - the top scorer at the 2006 World Cup - replacing Gomez as the lone striker. The move paid off as Klose hit his 46th goal for Germany on 55 minutes after Azerbaijan had their captain Samir Abbasov sent off five minutes before for a second yellow card offence.
Klose showed a poacher´s instinct when he scored his second on 66 minutes before Podolski slotted home his shot on 71 minutes as Germany re-exerted their authority.
