Podolski double helps Germany brush Swedes aside
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-06-25 10:03
Sweden scrapped their way back into the game before the interval when Zlatan
Ibrahimovic, with a low shot on the turn from eight metres, forced an athletic
low save from Jens Lehmann.
OPENING GOAL
But the Germans, buoyed by their two-goal blitz, were in command and this
allowed Torsten Frings and Michael Ballack to dictate the pace and shape of
their game from central midfield where the Swedes were mostly outnumbered.
The opening goal was made by Klose who won a ball in the air, collected it
again and turned past two defenders. His shot was blocked, but Podolski followed
up and though Lucic dived to try to head clear the shot flew in.
The second came when Klose drew three defenders with a diagonal run and then
played a reverse pass across the area for Podolski to fire in his third goal of
the tournament.
Apart from the goals, the German fans, heavily outnumbering the Swedes in a
66,000 sell-out crowd at the Allianz Arena, enjoyed a series of near-misses by
their team as they basked in warm sunshine and the 32 degrees Celsius heat.
Sweden were awarded a harsh-looking penalty after 52 minutes when Christoph
Metzelder made a late challenge on Larsson but the 34-year-old striker blazed
his spot kick over the bar.
Ballack drove a 23-metre shot against Andreas Isaksson's left post as the
Germans regained their composure but Sweden, to their credit, refused to give up
and created more anxious moments before the end.
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