WORLD CUP: Germany wallop Portugal 4-0
Germany sailed to a comfortable 4-0 win over
10-man Portugal in Group G of the World Cup.
Joachim Low’s side opened the scoring in
Salvador after just 12 minutes, following
referee Milorad Mazic’s decision to award
Germany a penalty.
Portugal’s Joao Pereira brought down Mario
Gotze in the area after the Bayern Munich
playmaker had expertly swivelled past his
marker, with Muller converting the resulting
spot-kick with aplomb.
Soon after the half-hour mark, Toni Kroos
delivered a sumptuous corner into the
Portuguese area and an onrushing Mats
Hummels powered an unstoppable header
beyond a hapless Rui Patricio to make the
scoreline 2-0.
The game reached boiling point five minutes
later after Pepe appeared to flick Muller in the
face with a flailing arm, with the latter
immediately falling to the floor. The Real
Madrid defender leant in with his head while
the Germany forward was down, and the
referee immediately brandished a red card at
Pepe – his first sending-off for Portugal.
Just before the break, Germany took full
advantage of the extra man after Muller
pounced on a poor defensive clearance from
Bruno Alves, stroking the ball past Patricio to
add a deserved third goal.
It was a comfortable second half for Die
Mannschaft, and Muller secured his hat-trick
after tapping in from five yards out in the 78th
minute, completing a comfortable win over
Paulo Bento's side.
It meant a hugely disappointing result for
World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo,
who had declared himself fully fit from his
knee injury.
Strangely, Portugal had dominated the opening
exchanges and Ronaldo inspired the first real
chance of note as he played in Hugo Almeida,
but the moustachioed Portugal striker's effort
was weak and easy for Manuel Neuer to
claim.
Neuer then came to the rescue again as
Ronaldo threatened once more. Miguel Veloso
caught Philipp Lahm in possession and with
the Portuguese outnumbering the German
defence, he sent Ronaldo racing in on goal but
he hammered his shot straight at Neuer from a
tight angle.
After that, however - and partly aided by some
shocking defending - Germany assumed
control.
Sami Khedira had already missed a golden
opportunity when keeper Patricio cleared the
ball straight to his feet, and though he was 35
yards out, the Real Madrid midfielder should
have done better with the empty goal
beckoning.
Moments later, Pereira pulled back Gotze as
he twisted in the box and the Portugal
defender was lucky to be only booked by
Serbian referee Mazic.
Muller looked confident as he stepped up to
take the penalty, and he buried it emphatically
to put the Germans ahead with 12 minutes
gone.
Gotze was denied by a last-ditch block after
excellent work by Mesut Ozil but from the
32nd-minute corner, Hummels crashed home
a header to make it 2-0 despite the attentions
of two defenders.
Eder headed over from a corner as Portugal
tried desperately to get back into the game but
then came Pepe's moment of self-destruction
in the 37th minute.
Muller went down claiming he had been
caught in the face by Pepe's arm, but the Real
Madrid defender's reaction was to push his
head into the German forward's.
It may have been the lightest of head-butts
but it was pure stupidity from Pepe, who has
previous for this kind of thing, and he was
given his marching orders.
Muller effectively ended any contest just
before the break, firing in off Patricio's body as
Portugal's defence gave way again.
They had made heavy weather of getting the
fourth, Gotze in particular being wasteful, but
finally Andre Schurrle crossed low and
Patricio merely palmed the ball to Muller to
poke home from close range with 12 minutes
left.
Ronaldo's influence was strictly limited; only
a blistering free-kick right at the final whistle
which was brilliantly saved by Neuer hinted at
what might have been.
Germany move on to a clash with Ghana in
Fortaleza on Saturday, while Portugal meet
the USA in Manaus on Sunday.
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