Philipp Lahm: I See No Reason To Leave Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich full-back Philipp Lahm has indicated his desire to sign a new contract with the Allianz Arena side.

Speaking to the media after die Roten’s comfortable 4-2 victory over Freiburg on Friday night, the German national team captain announced once again that no-one has come forward to offer him a fresh deal, though at the same time he is not pushing for a move away from the club.

“I see no reason to leave the club,” the 26-year-old declared. “There are currently no negotiations with the leaders; we still have time.”

Presently, Lahm is contracted to FCB until the end of 2012, but if he wasn’t to sign a contract before the summer, then clubs could begin to circle the defender with thoughts of offering him a pre-contract agreement in January 2012.

Regarded widely as one of the most talented full-backs in the world game and versatile enough to play on either flank, the diminutive tackler is seen as a prized asset.

Sami Khedira Reveals He’s Having No Problems Communicating With Spanish Speaking Team-Mates

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira says that even though he doesn't speak Spanish very well, he can still communicate with his team-mates on the pitch.

Khedira admits that neither he nor compatriot Mesut Oezil can speak fluent Spanish yet but insists that this doesn’t impede them in matches.

"Oezil and I are ready to help,” Khedira is quoted as saying by Madrid’s official website. “We are creative and we can help Xabi Alonso.

“We don't speak Spanish very well at the moment, but we communicate well with our team-mates."

The defensive midfielder went on to speak about the upcoming match against Hercules.

"We have a good chance to win titles this season. If we play well as a team we will have chances to win in Alicante.

"We know our match against Hercules will be difficult. We faced them in the pre-season. They are dangerous and strong in attack.

"They have [Nelson] Valdez, whom I knew in the Bundesliga, and [David] Trezeguet, who always finds room in which to score."

Khedira concluded by stating he is confident that he will score sooner rather than later for the Blancos.

“I'm sure I will score soon. I've had chances to but was unlucky. I come closer to netting a strike each day. I've analysed my team-mates on the pitch, which will help me score."

Spain, Germany dominate Ballon d'Or nominations

FIFA World Cup champion Spain had seven players nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, followed by Germany with five, as the two countries combined for 12 of the 23 selections announced Tuesday.

Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, David Villa and Xavi were nominated from Spain, while Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger were picked from Germany.

Klose, Lahm, Muller and Schweinsteiger also appeared in the Champions League final for Bayern Munich, a 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan. Milan's Wesley Sneijder as well as Dutch teammate Arjen Robben - who led the Netherlands to the World Cup final - of Bayern also made the list.

Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo - the last two FIFA World Players of the Year - also made the list but are not favored to capture the award this season.

No English player made the list, and just three from the Premier League - Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba and Asamoah Gyan - were nominated.

All of the nominations played in the World Cup, and nine of them also appeared in the UEFA Champions League final.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or will be awarded for the first time, as the former FIFA World Player of the Year award and Ballon d'Or were combined. Three finalists will be announced on Dec. 6, with the winner announced Jan. 10.

Brazil's Marta and Germany's Birgit Prin, who have combined to claim the last seven women's FIFA World Player of the Year awards, are among the 10 finalists again this year.

Awards for the best men's and women's coach were also be given this year, with Spain's Vincente del Bosque, who led his team to the World Cup title, and Jose Mourinho, who led Inter to the Champions League title, among the nominations on the men's side.

Following are all the men's FIFA Ballon d'Or nominations:

Argentina - Lionel Messi; Brazil - Daniel Alves, Julio Cesar, Maicon; Cameroon - Samuel Eto'o; Germany - Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger; Ghana - Asamoah Gyan; Ivory Coast - Didier Drogba; Netherlands - Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder; Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo; Spain - Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, David Villa, Xavi; Uruguay - Diego Forlan.

Mental burden destroying Bayern Munich - Philipp Lahm Accumulated games played catching up with German giants

Bayern Munich may have beaten rivals Werder Bremen in last night's DFB Pokal second round clash, but die Roten continue to struggle domestically. In an interview, vice-captain Philipp Lahm revealed that the Bavarians' woes are being compounded by the mental burden of an ever-increasing gap between them and leaders Mainz.

"It is the mental effort that is destroying us, because the distance to make up is 12 points," Lahm told Sport-Bild.

Lahm also admitted his personal shortcomings thus far: "I am not playing up to the level I can reach."

As reigning champions and traditional powerhouses of Bundesliga football, Bayern are in the uncharacteristically low table position of 11th place. Their next match will be on Friday as they host Freiburg.

A special player for the Special One

BARCELONA -- Jose Mourinho's fiercest critics reckon that the Real Madrid manager only falls in love every time he looks in the shaving mirror. But it's not true.

Sometimes footballers make him fall head over heels, and one of the last times Cupid hit home was when the Special One's heart had just been broken.

Roll back to 2007, when Mourinho and Roman Abramovich spectacularly divorced. Chelsea's Champions League draw with Rosenberg was enough to make Abramovich sack the man who, just a few weeks previously, had completed a record 64 home games undefeated.

Sitting at home nursing an expensive payoff from Chelsea's Roman emperor, Mourinho naturally tuned in to watch "his" team play Schalke 04 -- even though Avram Grant was now in charge. Mourinho was instantly brought into full attention by the play of a strangely named 18-year-old German, Mesut Ozil.

Substituted just after the hour, Ozil couldn't have been aware that he had already changed his life.

But the Special One knows a special talent, and he reached for a pen to scribble some notes, the gist of which read: Buy this guy soon.

At the time, the petit playmaker didn't look like a world-class talent the way, say, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney did when they were younger. But the best coaches get joy from discovering kids with raw talent and molding them into top-class players.

Ozil, of course, went on to inspire Werder Bremen to victory over Mourinho's Inter Milan, and to push Germany to the gates of the World Cup final. A creative, quick-footed and agile No. 10 had emerged on the international scene.

So when Mourinho took over at Madrid, he couldn't believe that Ozil was available on the transfer market for $19 million this summer. It mostly had to do with the fact that the player had twelve months left on his contract with Werder Bremen, after which he could sign for the club of his choice on a free transfer.

It was astonishingly bad housekeeping by Werder Bremen. It had planned to sell the player to Bayern Munich for around $30 million, but Ozil refused to go. He warned Werder that he would sit tight and leave for free at the end of his contract unless the right deal with the right club was hashed out. Game, set and match to Ozil and Real Madrid.

Mourinho would have authorized his club to pay at least another $5 million to $6 million to land Ozil. But in the end, he was ecstatic that everything worked out so smoothly.

When Ozil arrived at the Bernabeu, he didn't speak Spanish, looked paler than Andres Iniesta, was tired from the World Cup and lacked the upper-body strength that little guys such as Messi and Sergio Aguero have developed in order to maximize their abilities. In short, you could be forgiven for thinking that Ozil would struggle, at least in his first few months in Spain.

But despite all these things working against him, the German has mesmerized fans, fellow players and the media since the day he arrived.

This season, he has played in every Real Madrid match, scoring three times and notching six assists. He also handled with aplomb the hostility of the Turkish media and fans when Germany faced Turkey in Euro 2012 qualifying earlier this month. Ozil is third-generation German, but some Turks think of him as having betrayed them because of his Turkish ancestry. Although the match was in Berlin, the city's large Turkish community meant that the crowd was heavily in favor of the visitors. Ozil's response? He scored in the 79th minute to help lead Germany to a 3-0 victory.

"Germany is my country and I couldn't imagine playing for any other national team," Ozil told reporters.

Germany coach Joachim Löw said in the postmatch press conference: "I know, from experience, how much Madrid fans are going to enjoy Ozil when he hits top form. He'll be a leader for Mourinho and a rival for Messi."

In order to achieve that, along with Ozil's stated goal to AS newspaper of "winning all three major trophies because we are a hungry squad and Mourinho is the best coach," he has some work to do. His average game time is 68 minutes in La Liga and 69 minutes in the Champions League. If he had more stamina and physical power, Mourinho would use him more. Gym work lies in Ozil's future. He also needs to hit the books and learn Spanish, so he can better communicate with his teammates.

After Ozil strengthens his mind and body, Mourinho will have a world-beater on his hands and a natural replacement for the vision and technique of Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez.

A special player for the Special One.

Philipp Lahm Satisfied With A Point After Bayern Munich Draw With Hamburg

Bayern Munich fell further off the pace of the Bundesliga leaders on Friday evening as they were held to a frustrating draw against Hamburg, though Philipp Lahm doesn’t believe the 0-0 scoreline was especially catastrophic.

Head coach Louis van Gaal indicated his belief that his side should have picked up the full complement of point immediately after the game, but Germany captain Lahm has suggested getting anything from the fixture at all should be considered a minor success.

“Obviously, we wanted to come away with the three points, but HSV had a huge chance to win it at the end, so we have to be satisfied with a point. After all, HSV aren’t just any old team,” the defender told his club’s official website in the aftermath of the fixture. “Overall it was a reasonable performance, but we need more determination and precision in the final third.”

Injury-hit Bayern presently lie ninth in the Bundesliga standings, nine points behind Borussia Dortmund and Mainz, having played a game more.

Twente Match Almost Like A Final - Per Mertesacker

Werder Bremen defender Per Mertesacker has heaped the pressure on his team ahead of tonight's Champions League clash with Twente.

"It is almost like a final," the Germany international said according to Kicker. "We need to take something."

"From the games against Twente we should get four points," Werder boss Klaus Allofs added. "But six would be better."

Both Twente and Bremen have taken just one point from two Champions League matches, and are three points behind Tottenham and Inter in Group A. Both of tonight's contestants still have a chance to qualify for the knockout rounds, but will be keen to at least finish third in their group and earn a spot in the Europa League.

Bayern justify their luck against CFR

Two own goals helped FC Bayern München come from behind to win against CFR 1907 Cluj yet neither Philipp Lahm nor Mario Gómez felt their good fortune was in any way undeserved.

A pair of own goals helped FC Bayern München move to within touching distance of the knockout stages, but Philipp Lahm told UEFA.com the Group E leaders' 3-2 defeat of CFR 1907 Cluj was not purely the fruit of good fortune.

Though CFR captain Cadú opened the scoring for the visitors at the Fußball Arena München, the Romanian side's dreams of ruining Bayern's perfect start to the campaign were cruelly undermined before the break. Cadú and Cristian Panin put through their own goal to turn the game around, handing last season's runners-up a half-time advantage they rarely looked like relinquishing.

"We haven't had much luck in recent weeks but sometimes when you work hard, luck is on your side, and that was the case today," said full-back Lahm, whose team have stuttered in domestic competition and toiled for almost half-an-hour to break down a well-drilled CFR defence. "There are no easy opponents in the Champions League. Cluj had beaten Basel so we knew they were going to be dangerous, and they showed that again over the 90 minutes."

Had Lacina Traoré's shot in the dying seconds of the opening period found the net rather than a post, the outcome might have been different. The fates, however, were decidedly in Bayern's favour as CFR then completed an unwanted hat-trick of unfortunate goals when Felice Piccolo's attempted clearance ricocheted into the net off Mario Gómez.

"Perhaps we have to thank our opponents because they gifted us two goals, perhaps even three, but that's not important. Only the three points count for us," said centre-forward Gómez, whose strike ultimately proved decisive after Juan Culio reduced CFR's deficit four minutes from time. "The goals were lucky, but not the victory. I think we were the better side throughout. Cluj had two or three good chances, but we deserved to win."

The success lifted Bayern six points clear at the top of the section, and a repeat result in Romania on 3 November will assure Louis van Gaal's men of a place in the knockout rounds with two games to spare. "We want to go to Cluj and try to finish it off, though that's not going to be easy," said Lahm, who helped Bayern stretch their unbeaten series against Romanian opposition to seven matches. "We have nine points, we still need three more. I think we're in the perfect position."

PER MERTESACKER – A WORTHY SIGNING FOR MANCHESTER UNITED

News this weekend has been mostly about Manchester United’s inability to finish games off, especially after taking a good lead. We did spot a bit of weekend transfer news related to Manchester United on the internet with a small snippet relating to United’s interest in German and Werder Bremen centre-back Per Mertesacker.

The guy is good and although he has difficulty defending with his Bremen team mates he would be a great fit in the Manchester United squad. He has been around for ages but many of you will be surprised when you discover he is still only 26 years old.

With Jonny Evans still not ready to face the rigours of the Premiership with United every week, Mertesacker would be a great signing. Centre backs are normally very reasonably priced and he would be a monster at the back long term next to Nemanja Vidic.

Rio is still the man, but he is getting older, with injuries beginning to appear every now and then it would be fantastic to be able to call the giant German anytime Sir Alex felt is necessary to include him.

In 2006 Mertesacker was worth about £3.5m but now he would probably be available for about £8m if that. His appearances for Germany have always been top quality and he would be the sort of player that Manchester United should be looking at to take a tighter grip both abroad and in the Premiership.

Chelsea plan shock right back bid

The current reigning champions of England, Chelsea are reported to be in the works to line up a shock move for Bayern Munich's star player, Philipp Lahm. The Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti who has been a long term admirer of the player has realized that Lahm is just the player that he needs to beef up his Chelsea squad and make it unrepeatable. The manager however is looking to land the player in the January transfer window, but has also admitted that he will not mind waiting till January to relish the services of the German international.

Lahm has been a part of the Bayern Munich side, ever since he was an eleven year old boy. This is of course excluding the two years that he spent at Stuttgart on loan. The player is reported to be ready for a new challenge and apparently it doesn't get any better than a move to Chelsea. Another reason for the player wanting to potentially move away from the club, is due to the fact that Munich are currently in terrible form and have managed to pick up just two wins so far this season. If the team continues to perform this way, it won't be long before there is a major sale at the club, with Lahm leading the line for obvious reasons.

However it is kind of odd to realize just why Chelsea will require a new left back. The team is currently laying witness to Branislav Ivanovic playing in that position and he has so far been rather good at what he does. Nonetheless the manager is still looking to try and lure the side back to the club so that he can have more than just once decent option to play in that position. However the player won't be an easy one to capture, with Munich regarding him to be one of the best players at the club and willing to keep him with them under almost any circumstance.

If the team are to make an official bid for the player, it is by no means going to be a cheap one, the German club side will be looking to get around twenty four million pounds for the player, but with Chelsea having the money to match that estimate, it will be interesting to see what really happens with this situation in the future.

Toni Kroos Prefers Attacking Role

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has spoken about his role in the national team, stating that he prefers to play in a more advanced role in the middle of the park.

Kroos played in central midfield alongside Sami Khedira in Germany's win over Turkey out of necessity.

"If Bastian Schweinsteiger is fit again, the two controlling midfielders will be Schweinsteiger and Khedira. In general, I see myself as an attacking midfield player," he told Kicker.

The young playmaker, who spent 18 months on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, also spoke of his return to Bayern, which he feels was the right decision.

"My move was the right decision, although I have still not yet found a set position. However, I am flexible and I play almost every game."

Should Kroos take the field tonight in Germany's qualifier against Kazakhstan, he will trigger an international appearances clause in his contract. As he will have played five times for the national team, his former club Hansa Rostock will be due €500,000 from Bayern, due to a clause in his transfer in 2006.

Germany move a step closer to Euro 2012 with win in Kazakhstan

Germany ran out 3-0 winners against Kazakhstan on Tuesday, making it four wins from four qualifiers for the 2012 European Championships.

The Kazakhs held die Mannschaft for the first 45 minutes of the encounter, but were unable to stem the Germans’ flow of attacking football in the second half.

The first goal came from Miroslav Klose, who, finding the net for the third time in two games, slotted home three minutes after the break.

Substitute Mario Gomez added a second goal in the 78th minute and Lukas Podolski put the final touch on the score line five minutes from fulltime.

The victory puts Germany at the top of their group on 12 points, five clear of their nearest rival Austria, who played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Belgium in Tuesday's late game. The loss leaves Kazakhstan bottom of the group with zero points.

Germany Coach Joachim Loew said that he was pleased with the result: "We achieved what we wanted to do, but obviously some errors occurred."

"We have 12 points. That is what we wanted, so I have to be satisfied. What the team managed to achieve this year has been great, I can't expect them to be brilliant in every game," he said.

"We have a lead at the top and that is comfortable, but we still need to win a few games before we can plan for the finals."

In the third Group A game played Tuesday, Azerbaijan pulled off a shock 1-0 win at home over a much-fancied Turkey, who earlier in the week had gone down to Germany in Berlin.

The Euro 2012 Championships are to be held in Poland and Ukraine.

Klose on target again

Germany extended their 100% record in Euro 2012 qualifying Group A to four games with three unanswered goals in the second half at Kazakhstan's Ortalyk Tsentralnyi Stadium.


The visitors were heavy favourites to despatch the minnows but with the match scoreless at half-time there will no doubt have been some nerves in the Germany ranks.

Miroslav Klose finally got his side on the scoresheet three minutes into the second half, while Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski also found the target to give a more comfortable look to the scoreline.

Thomas Muller and Podolski both tested home goalkeeper Andrey Sidelnikov as Germany looked to establish themselves early in the game.

Muller should have drawn a save with his second effort and then teed up Klose to head wide in the 16th minute.

It took 20 minutes for the first glimmer of a Kazakhstan opportunity to arise, but Heinrich Schmidtgal's shot was quickly closed down by Per Mertesacker.

That aside the game continued to go in Germany's favour, Sami Khedira linking up with Toni Kroos, only for the latter to head over.

Germany were now looking a little wasteful, Kroos and Mesut Ozil both failing to exercise Sidelnikov as the half-hour mark approached.

Kroos warmed to his task as the half drew to a close, first drawing a parried save from 20 yards only for Ozil to fluff the rebound, then forcing the keeper into a diving save in the closing seconds.

Khedira went closest in the 41st minute when he headed against the crossbar after a Sidelnikov punch.
The breakthrough came with 48 minutes on the clock, Podolski breaking down the left and finding the prolific Klose, who poked home from six yards.

Schmidtgal missed with his second attempt of the match moments later but produced a much better effort in the 56th minute when his volley required a good reaction save from Manuel Neuer.
The floodgates failed to open for Germany at the other end but a second eventually came with 14 minutes remaining.

Ozil played the role of creator, laying the ball to substitute Gomez, who beat Sidelnikov from 12 yards.
Kazakhstan came out of their shell after that, opening up a couple of half-chances but their reward was a third goal conceded, Podolski slotting home from close range.

Comment: Dominant Germany Show Strength In Depth

No Schweinsteiger, no problem. Germany not only beat Turkey on Friday but they issued a statement of intent. Even without their midfield fulcrum, their deep-playing architect, die Mannschaft never missed a beat.

Stand-in holding midfielder Toni Kroos channeled Bastian Schweinsteiger and Germany were unaffected. The final scored read 3-0 and was fully reflective of the Germans’ dominance.

The ease with which the Nationalelf managed in the absence of Schweinsteiger reaffirmed how adaptive Germany have become. Just seven months ago, a completely different pair of holding midfielders featured in a friendly with Argentina, and appeared destined to keep their roles in the short term.

In the wake of an injury to Michael Ballack, however, Sami Khedira partnered Schweinsteiger during the World Cup, and Germany went on to finish third. Then, on Friday, Kroos seamlessly took over for club teammate Schweinsteiger as Germany’s primary ball-player and die Mannschaft were fully dominant. It’s an ongoing process: one star gets injured, another takes his place.

While the quality of his personnel is certainly a bonus, full credit should be given to coach Joachim Loew as well as the entire DFB (German FA) technical staff for ensuring a smooth transition. Kroos and Schweinsteiger are naturally different players but each has acclimated to Loew’s system and can fit the same mould.

The same applies to Holger Badstuber, who in Germany’s three Euro qualifiers has superbly deputised for injured central defender Arne Friedrich. In recent years, Loew and the DFB have developed synergy between the youth international teams and the senior side. The fruit of their efforts was revealed at the World Cup and further supported by last night’s performance.

While it was abundantly clear that Germany can cope without Schweinsteiger, it remains uncertain as to whether Loew’s men will be able to manage with a potential injury to Mesut Oezil. The gifted playmaker suffered an ankle injury in Friday’s match and may not be fit to play against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Sprightly winger Marko Marin would by no means offer a stylistic like-for-like swap, but perhaps in output the Werder Bremen starlet could match his former club teammate. The match will be no World Cup final, but regardless of who starts, Germany fans can rest assured that there won’t be any slip-ups anytime soon.

Ozil concern for Low

Germany sweating on Real playmaker

Germany coach Joachim Low will give Mesut Ozil as long as possible to prove his fitness in midweek.

The Real Madrid man picked up an ankle injury in Friday's 3-0 victory over Turkey and is now a major doubt for Tuesday's clash with Kazakhstan.

The 21-year-old playmaker is expected to sit out training on Sunday in order to rest the problem before flying out with the rest of the squad on Monday.

Low has then requested that Ozil undertake a late fitness test before he finalises his plans for Germany's latest Euro 2012 qualifier.

Trust

"National coach Joachim Low has arranged with the doctors and physical trainers to give him a fitness test in the final training session on Monday," said the German Football Federation in a statement.

Ozil is optimistic regarding his chances of shaking off the knock and hopes he will be given the opportunity to face the Kazaks.

"It still hurts, but I trust in the swift treatment I have been given by the national team doctors and physios," he said.

"I hope that I can get fit again quickly."

Lahm ensures Germany enjoy home comforts

Germany fans may have seemed to be in the minority against Turkey in Berlin, but captain Philipp Lahm was delighted "to celebrate a 3-0 win with those who were here" after another victory.


It may have felt like an away match at times for Germany as they hosted Turkey in Berlin, but a pair of goals from Miroslav Klose and one more from Mesut Özil ensured Joachim Löw's side left the Olympiastadion with a smile on their faces following a third straight win in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group A.

"It was a great atmosphere," said Germany captain Philipp Lahm, whose pass set up Özil for the second goal. " Of course we would have liked there to have been more German fans, but in the end we were able to celebrate a 3-0 win with those who were here. We had to push Turkey and we did really well in the first half."

It was a particularly special game for Özil given his Turkish roots, and the midfielder provided a spark of creativity as well as the all-important second goal with 11 minutes to play. Özil's former FC Schalke 04 team-mate Halil Altıntop lamented: "I'm happy things are going so well for him, but he did not have to score today. It was great to see so many Turkish supporters here. It was not really an away match. Unfortunately, we could not seize the opportunity." Not that Özil had things all his own way, as a knock to his right ankle took the shine off an otherwise perfect evening and puts him in doubt for Tuesday's qualifier in Kazakhstan.

Klose opened the scoring on 42 minutes to give substance to Germany's superiority, but lone Turkey striker Halil Altıntop could have brought his side level when clean through on Manuel Neuer's goal eight minutes after the restart. It took a terrific save from the Germany No1 to deny him, yet Halil Altıntop felt Germany were the stronger team regardless.

"It wasn't a key moment as Germany were clearly the dominant side," he said. "They were deserved winners, but maybe by one goal too many. It was very difficult to play as a lone striker against this Germany team."

Halil's brother Hamit added: "We have to say Germany were better than we were. We lack a bit of experience and understanding. We were solid in defence but lacked courage going forward.  We are disappointed but we knew we would suffer setbacks. There is always the return match."

It was the first time Turkey had dropped points in the section, leaving them level with Austria and three behind Germany, for whom this was a third straight victory. "This was the strongest opponent in the group and it's not easy to get a result against them, but we did it today and nine points from three matches is a perfect start," forward Thomas Müller said. "Now we have a small edge, but it will be worth nothing if we don't win against Kazakhstan. If we do that, things will be looking quite good."

Mehmet Aurélio, meanwhile, will miss Turkey's game in Azerbaijan on Tuesday after being carried off with a hamstring injury in the 24th minute.

Real Madrid's Sami Khedira Defends Cristiano Ronaldo From Criticism

Sami Khedira has lept to Cristiano Ronaldo's rescue as he defends the Real Madrid ace

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira is leading a staunch defence of Cristiano Ronaldo after he was criticised by the German press.

Khedira has hailed his club team-mate, claiming he has been vital to helping him settle down at the Bernabeu following his summer move there.

"He is not arrogant or selfish like many people say," Khedira told AS.

"He dresses very elegantly and he always behaves in a gentle way. He has helped me and Mesut Oezil to integrate with the rest."

Germany coach Low warns against complacency

Germany coach Joachim Low has praised his side for their 3-0 win over Turkey on Friday night, but he has warned them not to feel too comfortable after three straight Euro 2012 qualifying wins.

GettyImages

Germany celebrate after Mesut Ozil found the back of the net against Turkey

Germany fly to Kazakhstan on Monday for their next qualifier and, although their hosts are not expected to provide such a stern test as Turkey, Low has reminded his side that the game is still worth three points like every other.

"We are going to have to show a similar attitude to the one we showed in September when we built on our win against Belgium with another against Azerbaijan,'' he said. "We are not past the finishing line yet.''

Nevertheless, Low believes his side are on the right path towards Euro 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine.

"I have got to pay my team a compliment for the way they have reached top form punctually after all the strains of the World Cup,'' he said. "They are showing a great will and determination and, even if it is not always spectacular, they are still managing to dominate games.''

After defeating Turkey so emphatically on Friday, Low is set to name the same team on Tuesday, although Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng may not make the trip due to a stomach bug.

Should he be left behind, Low says he will not call up anybody else and will instead travel with just 18 players.

"If everything goes according to plan, then we will start the game with the same team as we did against Turkey,'' said Low.

Tuesday's match is scheduled for 11pm local time and the game will be played on an artificial pitch.

"This is clearly a new situation for us and a new feeling to travel so far,'' said Low. "Unlike in Russia a year ago, we will not have the time to train often on an artificial pitch so we will therefore only train twice on the surface.

"It is not going to be easy, but we have got to and will manage to get used to it.''

Germany crushes Turkey in Euro 2012 qualifier

 Germany were firing on all cyclinders against Turkey

Germany's national soccer team beat Turkey 3-1 in Friday night's European Championship qualification match. The win in Berlin lifted Germany three points clear at the top of Group A.

Miroslav Klose scored Germany's first goal in the 42nd minute. Eleven minutes before the final whistle, midfielder Mesut Oezil, got Germany's second. Klose then added another goal later in the second half to seal an emphatic victory in front of more than 74,000 fans at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Germany next face Kazakhstan on Tuesday for their next EURO 2012 clash.
"The team showed they really wanted this and we have earned a deserved victory," said Germany national coach Joachim Loew.
"I hadn't expected to win by such a big amount, because it was always going to be a difficult game. For the Turks, the game was always going to be a matter of honor," said Loew.

 

Oezil is congratulated by Thomas Mueller, right, after scoring during the Euro 2012 qualifier

Kazakhstan beckons 
With a maximum nine out of nine points, Germany are now in firm control of Group A, ahead of next Tuesday's encounter when Loew's side face Kazakhstan.
For Turkey's new national coach, Dutchman Guus Hiddink, his team are now placed second on six. Friday's 3-0 drubbing in Berlin was Turkey's first defeat of the qualifying campaign. Hiddink used to coach Russia's national side, which, like Turkey, failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Strongest opponent           
"It is impressive how well the team is playing at the moment," said captain Philipp Lahm, adding that the team had defeated their strongest opponent in the group.
"It has been the perfect start, but now we need to build on it for our next game on Tuesday (against Kazakhstan)," Lahm said.

Turkish PM Erdogan watched the game with Merkel in Berlin

Born and bred              
The German-born Oezil, who signed with Real Madrid from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen at the start of this season, was booed by Turkish fans who made up more than half of the 74,000 soccer fans in Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Oezil, however, silenced his tormentors with a 79th-minute goal to seal the win.
Veteran striker Miroslav Klose opening the scoring just before half-time and the Bayern Munich star slotted his second on 87 minutes.
The 32-year-old's second just before the final whistle was his 57th goal in his 104th international, passing Franz Beckenbauer's mark of 103, to put him clear second behind Gerd
Mueller's all-time record is 68 goals for Germany.                    
"Although I have now over-taken Franz Beckenbauer in terms of the number of international matches, there will always be something special about the Beckenbauer name," Klose said.
"We are all happy that we managed to win the game. I have to compliment our fans, one heard them even though there were so many Turkish fans. After our first two goals they took over with their singing," Klose said.

 

Oezil and Turkey's Mehmet Aurelio challenge for the ball

Turkey should have equalized in the 53rd minute when a defensive error from Lukas Podolski saw Halil Altintop have a free run at Manuel Neuer, but the Schalke goalkeeper managed a world-class save with his left leg, pushing the ball away for a corner.
World Cup form
Germany's captain Lahm said he was proud of his team.
"Nine points is a perfect start. We can't do more. But all of that does not matter if we do not manage another win on Tuesday," Lahm said.
Mueller, meanwhile, compared the performance with that at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Germany finished third.
"It was a good performance from the team," Mueller said.  "We managed to take the euphoria from the World Cup with us and now we have a small lead from the other teams."