Czech Republic 1 - 2
Germany
Germany held off a late rally by the Czech Republic to clinch a
well-deserved victory in the battle of the Group D leaders in
Prague. Kevin Kuranyi sank two headers in the 42nd and 62nd minutes
before a goal from Milan Baros shifted the momentum in the
76th.
It took the visitors just 58 seconds to create the first scoring
opportunity. A cross from the left landed at the feet of Bastian
Schweinsteiger, who immediately pulled the trigger from a sharp
angle on the left. Petr Cech, however, was quick to react and
diverted the shot round the right post. Just two minutes later, Jan
Polak darted down the left and shook off Philipp Lahm to play in
Baros, whose 10-yard shot was deflected behind by the lunging
Michael Ballack.
The tempo remained high, with Bernd Schneider nodding a cross from
Marcell Jansen past the left post before Ballack wasted a good
opportunity and Schweinsteiger tested Cech with another shot. Cech
then denied the Bayern Munich youngster for a third time in the
first 10 minutes with a superb reflex save.
The Chelsea goalkeeper remained busy as Podolski fired in a
25-yarder from the left. Germany, now in complete control, kept
pressing and it was shortly before the break that their dominance
told. A Frings corner from the left found Kuranyi and he rose
highest to acrobatically nod the ball past a puzzled Cech, who
reacted too late to prevent the danger.
Now on the front foot, Germany hit the crossbar through Podolski
who unleashed a powerful shot from the right channel after Kuranyi
set him up. The Czechs improved after the break, with Jan Koller
having an effort blocked and Baros dangerously heading over a
right-wing cross from Tomas Ujfalusi.
After Jens Lehmann caught a promising long-distance effort from
Arsenal team-mate Tomas Rosicky, Baros wasted a golden opportunity
to level the scores. Wide on the left, Marek Jankulovski picked out
Baros with his cross, only for the header to whistle inches past
the right post.
Germany made the Czechs pay in the 62nd minute with a fantastic
counter-attack when the rampaging Lahm's pinpoint centre from the
left was nodded home by Kuranyi to double the lead. A header from
Podolski and a right-footed drive from Kuranyi almost resulted in
further damage for the Czechs, who were also lucky that
Jankulovski's challenge on Kuranyi did not result in a
penalty.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, Polak's 25-yarder bounced over
the line and past Lehmann after it had taken a deadly deflection
off Baros' foot. With momentum on their side, the Czechs upped the
pressure in the last 10 minutes, but promising shots from Baros and
Rosicky came to nought as Germany prevailed to move three points
clear at the top of the pool.
Czech Republic Petr Cech, Ujfalusi
(Vlcek 84), Jiranek,Rozehnal, Jankulovski, Sionko (Plasil 46),
Rosicky,Galasek (Kulic 67), Polak, Koller, Baros.
Subs Not Used: Blazek, Grygera, Kovac, Jarolim.
Booked: Galasek, Jankulovski, Koller.
Goals: Baros 77.
Germany Lehmann, Lahm, Mertesacker,
Metzelder, Jansen,Schneider, Frings, Ballack,
Schweinsteiger,Podolski (Hitzlsperger 89), Kuranyi.
Subs Not Used: Hildebrand, Friedrich, Trochowski,
Schlaudraff,
Kiessling, Castro.
Booked: Jansen, Lehmann.
Goals: Schweinsteiger 42, Kuranyi 62.
Att: 17,821
Ref: Roberto Rosetti (Italy).
