Striker Mario Goetze scored twice to seal
Germany's 3-1 win over Poland as the world champions avenged last year's away
defeat to move top of Euro 2016's Group D qualifying group.
Having lost the corresponding fixture 2-0 in
Warsaw last October - Germany's first defeat to their neighbours in 19 matches
- the world champions gained sweet revenge by knocking Adam Nawalka's Poland
off the summit.
It was Poland's first defeat in seven Euro 2016
qualifiers and this was an impressive display from the Germans after several
below-par performances last season.
All four goals came from Bayern Munich players as
Thomas Mueller gave Germany an early lead, then Goetze made it 2-0 before
Poland captain Robert Lewandowski pulled one back with a diving header as it
finished 2-1 at the break.
Mueller and Goetze then combined for Germany's
third on 82 minutes to kill off hopes of a late Poland equaliser.
Georgia's 1-0 home win over Scotland, who Germany
play in Glasgow on Monday, and Ireland's 4-0 thumping of minnows Gibraltar
means Germany are top with 16 points with Poland now second on 14 while Ireland
go third with 12, one ahead of the Scots.
Poland host Gibraltar in Warsaw on Monday having
routed the part-timers 7-0 away last year.
Germany coach Joachim Loew sprang a surprise
before kick-off by naming Liverpool midfielder Emre Can at right-back to give
the 21-year-old his debut.
The game started at a high-paced tempo in
Frankfurt and Germany scored off their first clear chance.
A superb exchange of passes with Karim Bellarabi
put Cologne left-back Jonas Hector in behind the defence and he squared for
Mueller to fire home on 12 minutes.
The hosts doubled their lead six minutes later
when World Cup final winner Goetze cut in from the left and unleashed a fierce
drive, which gave Poland's Swansea City goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski little
chance just inside the near post.
Poland were rewarded for a sustained period of
pressure when left winger Kamil Grosicki powered down the left wing, with Can
out of position, curled in a superb cross and Lewandowski powered the ball home
with a superb diving header on 36 minutes.
It was his eighth goal in Poland's qualifying
campaign.
The manner in which Lewandowski hastily gathered
the ball from the net, punching the air with delighted, sent a clear message
that Germany had a fight on their hands.
Early in the first half, Loew brought on Ilkay
Gundogan for Bellarabi, who provided a superb pass to Goetze and the Bayern man
hit the post on 57 minutes.
At the other end, Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
had his hands full keeping Lewandowski and his forward partner Arkadiusz Milik
quiet.
The pair have scored 12 of their side's 21 goals
in their qualifying campaign.
Germany settled the matter when Mueller's fierce
drive bounced off Fabianski's legs and Goetze tucked away the rebound.
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