GERMANY IN CRUISE CONTROL
Defending champions ease past Azerbaijan to maintain perfect record
BERLIN Sunday. Little-used forward Andre Schuerrle scored two and set up another.
“We absolutely fulfilled our duty,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said after the fifth win from five games in their group.
“It was like a cup game against a team from a lower division. If you don’t go in at the top of your game, you make them stronger than they are.”
Germany have scored 20 goals so far in their campaign and are looking to clinch qualification as soon as possible.
“We’ve always clearly won against the smaller nations in the last years and that’s down to the players that lead the team,” Loew said.
Germany lead by five points from Northern Ireland, who defeated Norway 2-0 in Belfast.
The Czech Republic, who racked up a 6-0 win in San Marino, are two points further back, one ahead of Azerbaijan.
Two goals each from Antonin Barak and Vladimir Darida, and goals from Theodor Gebre Selassie and Michal Krmencik, gave the Czechs their biggest ever away win.
Loew had expressed his faith in Schuerrle before the game in Baku, despite the player making seven of his 15 Bundesliga appearances and five of his six Champions League games as a substitute for Borussia Dortmund this season.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Loew said of Schuerrle’s performance after giving the 26-year-old his first Germany start for 1 1/2 years. “I hope it gives him a boost for Dortmund.”
Schuerrle broke the deadlock in the 19th minute. Julian Draxler spotted Jonas Hector free to his left and passed for the defender to send it straight back for Schuerrle, who finished from close range.
Just as it seemed the visitors were completely in control, Dimitrij Nazarov equalised in the 31st with a perfectly placed shot inside the far post after four Germany defenders failed to stop Afran Ismaylov from picking him out. It was the first goal Germany had conceded in qualifiers for the 2018 tournament in Russia.
“I would have liked that we made fewer mistakes after taking the lead,” Loew said. “We lost our way.”
Thomas Mueller restored the lead minutes later, running into Schuerrle’s pass, taking it past the goalkeeper with his right foot and finishing into the empty net with his left.
Joshua Kimmich crossed for Mario Gomez to make it 3-1 with a header before the break.
The home side started the second half with renewed vigour, though without troubling Bernd Leno, playing instead of the injured Manuel Neuer in the Germany goal.
Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil came on for the final halfhour, but it was Schuerrle who had the final say, blasting the ball to the roof of the net from Hector’s pull-back to complete the scoring in the 81st. AP
It was like a cup game against a team from a lower division.