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Germany Hit Liechenstein for Six in World Cup Qualifier

DPA news agency (kjb)September 7, 2008

Three-time world champions Germany breezed to a 6-0 victory over lowly Liechenstein in a Group 4 match to ease into their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Germany's Lukas Podolski, second from left, is hugged by teammates after he scored the opening goal against Liechtenstein during their World Cup group 4 qualifying soccer match in Vaduz
Germany didn't get going until the second halfImage: AP

The losing Euro 2008 finalists took their time to get into scoring gear on a rainy night in Vaduz on Saturday, Sept. 6, but hit five goals after the break to warm up for a more difficult trip Wednesday to Finland.

Germany had scored 17 goals in their only two previous meetings against the principality, winning 9-1 in 1996 and 8-2 in 2000, but for a long time Liechtenstein proved stubborn opponents.

Lukas Podolski fired German ahead in the 21st minute with a crisp left-foot shot after a neat exchange of passes with Piotr Trochowski but it was all Germany had to show for first-half possession.

Trochowski had seen a shot saved by goalkeeper Peter Jehle in the fourth minute and Miroslav Klose should have scored a second for Joachim Loew's side but sidefooted the ball past Jehle and the post.

But Podolski added a second -- and his 30th for Germany -- three minutes after the break after Trochowski was again the provider, and the floodgates gradually began to open.

The Bayern Munich striker almost scored a third when he blasted the ball over the bar from close range, but Simon Rolfes and Bastian Schweinsteiger scored in the 65th and 66th minutes.

Thomas Hitzlsperger added a fifth 10 minutes later and defender Heiko Westermann made it six four minutes from time as the match turned into a stroll for Joachim Loew's side.

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