GERMANY 2 SWEDEN 0 - MATCH REPORT
Report by Pez

ENGLAND v ECUADOR MATCH PROGRAMME

With great ease, hosts Germany progressed to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, with help from a lacklustre Sweden side who were down to ten men before half time, and also missed a penalty.

For the third time in their four games, Germany opened the scoring within less than six minutes. Michael Ballack fed in Lukas Podolski, who in turn fed in to Miroslav Klose. A beautiful touch took him between two defenders, and when Andreas Isaksson blocked at the feet of the World Cup top scorer, Podolski was on hand to put the ball home, despite Olof Melberg's best efforts.

Sweden could have equalised soon after. Henrik Larsson found himself with just Jens Lehmann ahead of him, although with the angle acute and a despairing late challenge from Michael Ballack, Larsson only found the side netting. Sweden were made to rue that missed chance as a rampant Germany bagged a second. It was again the combination of Klose and Podolski that unlocked Sweden; Klose's run across the edge of the area drew in three defenders, and with Podolski now in acres of space behind him, his reverse pass was swept in to the bottom corner by the clinical Podolski.

With Sweden unable to cope Ballack had two efforts saved by Isaksson, and Klose put a header over the bar as Sweden struggled to get their main threats in to the game. Germany kept going, and Isaksson was keeping Sweden in the game, he saved a snapshot from Klose, and a long-range effort Schweinstieger, but he could do nothing as it got even worse for Sweden. Teddy Lucic, earlier booked for a rash challenge on Klose was sent off for his second yellow card. Referee Simon made a shocking decision to dismiss the defender, a nothing shirt pull wouldn't have been punished had it not been for German players chasing the referee, and surely ending the game as a contest.

Sweden however had two of their three best chances of the half after the dismissal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned and shot powerfully at Lehmann, and substitute Petter Hansson almost capitalised as the 'keeper failed to collect an awkward cross. Sweden started the second half brightly, Lehmann saved at the feet of Mattias Jonson, and after fifty-one minutes, Christopher Metzelder bundled Larsson over, and the referee awarded a penalty. After a delay for a substitution, Larsson himself took the penalty, but in unfamiliar fashion blazed the ball, and Sweden's chances over the bar.

A fantastic fingertip save from Isaksson forced Ballack's drive on to the post, but neither side were creating much as time wore on. Ballack continued to rain in shots for the rest of the half, but never got closer than Isaksson's hands, while Bernd Schneider struck the post. With Sweden happy to keep the score down, and Germany content with their lead, each side had long periods of possession without troubling the other, as the game fizzled out.

Man Of The Match: Michael Ballack - Somehow failed to score past an on-form Sweden 'keeper, but had a part to play all through the match. Awesome in possession and covered every inch of grass on the pitch, all of Germany's play went through this man.

Referee: Carlos Eugenio Simon
Venue: Allianz Arena
Attendance: 66,000

ENGLAND v ECUADOR MATCH PROGRAMME

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