Draxler spot-on for Germany

IF THE Germans can still win even when they are missing penalties, what hope is there for the rest here?

Mesut Ozil had a 14th-minute spot-kick saved by Matus Kozacik after a foul by Martin Skrtel on Mario Gomez, but Germany still ended up with their biggest win in the Euros in 20 years.

Jerome Boateng scored his first goal for his country and Julian Draxler grabbed his first competitive goal for

GERMANY

them too as Slovakia were blown away.

Gomez, two minutes before the break, also got his second of the tournament, equalling Jurgen Klinsmann’s record of five goals for Germany in European Championship finals. Boateng set the ball rolling with a 25-yard, eighth-minute volley which took a deflection off Milan Skriniar on its way in, before Ozil fluffed from the spot.

That almost proved costly as Juraj Kucka then forced Manuel Neuer into a fingertip save with a header from a Peter Pekarik cross.

But Gomez spared Ozil’s blushes with a tap-in after a magical piece of skill from man of the match Draxler, who then volleyed in the third for Germany in the 63rd minute.

Gomez praised Wolfsburg star Draxler afterwards, saying: “He has two magic feet and I’m happy for him that this has led to an important goal.

“Now we will play Italy or Spain and they will demand a lot more from us. But it doesn’t matter who we play now.

“We just have to impose our game and play with the emotions we showed today.”