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Ozil proves the inspiration as Germany book spot in finals

EURO 2012 ROUND-UP GROUP A : Germany became the first team to qualify for the Euro 2012 finals with a 6-2 mauling of neighbours…

Sat Sept 03 2011 - 01:00

EURO 2012 ROUND-UP GROUP A: Germany became the first team to qualify for the Euro 2012 finals with a 6-2 mauling of neighbours Austria in Gelsenkirchen after playmaker Mesut Ozil scored two goals and set up another.

Striker Miroslav Klose opened the scoring after nine minutes when he got a slight deflection on a shot by Ozil for his 62nd goal in 111 internationals.

Ozil then combined with Klose to add the second goal in the 23rd minute after rounding the goalkeeper before Lukas Podolski struck a powerful left-footer five minutes later for a 3-0 lead.

Austria’s Marko Arnautovic cut the deficit and Martin Harnik also scored minutes after Ozil restored Germany’s three-goal lead with another deflected effort.

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Substitutes Andre Schuerrle and Mario Goetze made sure of things with two goals in the final six minutes leading the home fans in the Schalke arena to give the team a standing ovation.

Turkey took advantage of Belgium’s 1-1 draw away to Azerbaijan to go second in the group after a 2-1 win at home to Kazakhstan.

GROUP B: Armenia recorded a 3-0 away win against bottom side Andorra. Marcos Pizzelli gave the visitors the lead 10 minutes before half-time at the Estadi Comunal and Gevorg Ghazaryan doubled their advantage in the 57th minute. Henrikh Mkhitaryan completed the scoring with a stoppage-time penalty at the end of the game after Andorra defender Ildefons Lima was sent off in conceding the spot-kick.

GROUP C:Italy moved a step closer to a place in the finals after Antonio Cassano's early strike was enough to see off Brian Kerr's valiant Faroe Islands 1-0 in Torshavn.

The home side were unlucky not to grab an equaliser with Soni Olsen hitting the post midway through the first half and Christian Lamhauge Holst striking the bar with 20 minutes to go.

GROUP E: Arsenal striker Robin van Persie hit four goals to inspire the Netherlands to an 11-0 annihilation of San Marino, with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Wesley Sneijder both scoring twice.

GROUP G: Wales did England a huge favour at Cardiff City Stadium as they inflicted a first defeat on Montenegro thanks to goals from Steve Morison and captain Aaron Ramsey. It was the home side's first win of the campaign.

GROUP H: Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals and set up another as Portugal thrashed a 10-man Cyprus side 4-0 away to stay top on goal difference from Norway, who beat Iceland 1-0 at home thanks to an 89th-minute penalty from Mohammed Abdellaoue.