Striker Miroslav Klose scores brace as Low's brigade defeats Maradona's men 4-0 in quarter-finals
Striker Miroslav Klose scores brace as Low's brigade defeats Maradona's men 4-0 in quarter-finals
Cape Town: Six days after turfing England out of the World Cup with a magical display, Germany cast their spell on Argentina with a brilliant quarter-final performance.
Argentina were buried thanks to a third-minute goal from Thomas Muller and two second-half efforts from Miroslav Klose either side of one from Arne Friedrich.
Even Diego Maradona would had appreciated it had he not been in the opposite dug-out. An imperious masterclass from a side on the march.
Who knows whether Germany will win the World Cup. But when Fabio Capello talks about the future, about Euro 2012 and the improvements England will make, this is the team he must measure his own by. And the gulf is huge.
Games of this magnitude can often be dull, sterile affairs, where two giants cancel each other out completely.
This spectacular never had a chance of being that way.
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Germany's talents are not as well known. But over the past week Joachim Low's team have made some statement.
Wherever he was watching, Capello must have at least taken some comfort from the fact England are not the only ones to suffer. Nor are they the only ones with a goalkeeper prone to make errors.
When Nicolas Otamendi brought Podolski down by the touchline, the start of what turned out to be a tortuous opening period for the young full-back, Bastian Schweinsteiger curled the free-kick to the near post.
Muller escaped Otamendi's attentions and rose unchallenged. The youngster should have sent a firm header into the corner.
Instead, he got the faintest touch which deceived Sergio Romero, who must have thought he was going to be beaten anyway. It shot off the Argentina keeper's leg and rolled into the net.
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