Red-hot Germans enter record books with a perfect 10

– Germany crushed Azerbaijan 5-1 on Sunday with talented Leon Goretzka (right) scoring twice, to complete a record-equalling World Cup qualifying campaign with 10 wins out of 10 matches.

Germany, who had already secured qualification for next year’s finals in Russia, needed an hour to hit their stride despite an early lead through the 22-year-old Goretzka.

The Germans equalled Spain’s record from the 2008/9 qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup with their 10th victory but they could boast an even better goal difference than the Spaniards.

“Overall it would be a mistake to take this qualification as the standard. We did it well, great, 10 wins, best goal difference,” German coach Joachim Loew said.

Germany, with seven changes after the 3-1 win in Belfast against Northern Ireland that secured their qualification, went ahead through Goretzka’s superb eighth-minute backheel.

After that, the new-look side struggled to find any rhythm.

The visitors scored, briefly stunning the home crowd, when Ramil Sheidaev fired in from a tight angle in the 34th minute.

Loew’s initial plans to use the game as a first test en route to their title defence went out the window with first-half injuries to defenders Niklas Suele and Shkodran Mustafi.

Mustafi could be out for some time with a suspected right thigh muscle tear, Loew said.

Yet his team quickly finished off the game with Wagner grabbing his fifth goal in his fifth international in the 54th minute and Antonio Ruediger scoring 10 minutes later.

The 22-year-old Goretzka then slipped into the box to tap in his second goal of the evening in the 66th minute as the Azeri defence collapsed before Emre Can capped the rout with a thundering 25m strike. –