Klose brace, Muller and Friedrich goals sink Argentina

Quarter-finals

Germany 4-0 Argentina
Spain 1-0 Paraguay

SIX days after turfing England out of the World Cup with a magical display, Germany cast their spell on Argentina with a brilliant quarter-final performance yesterday.

Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose were on target once more as Germany booked their World Cup semi-final place at the expense of Diego Maradona’s side.

Muller netted the last two goals in the 4-1 win over England last time but was quicker off the mark in Cape Town, heading home in the third minute as Joachim Low’s side made a blistering start.

Klose, who had scored the opener against England, then tapped home a 67th minute second.

Arne Friedrich netted a third seven minutes later and Klose scored his second with a minute to go to make sure of the success over Diego Maradona’s men.

The victory means Germany will now face Spain on Wednesday for a place in next Sunday’s final.

It also dashed for now Maradona’s dream of reaching a World Cup final as a coach after he lifted the trophy as a player at Germany’s expense in 1986 and then was the losing captain to the same rivals four years later.

Both sides were unchanged for this clash, with Germany’s attacking midfielders Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski both passed fit, while Argentinian talisman Lionel Messi brushed off a midweek cold to lead the attack alongside Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain.

The contest ended in controversy when the two sides met at the same stage of the last World Cup, with a mass brawl erupting after the Germans won on penalties.

Germany now rolls into the semi-finals with every chance of lifting the trophy.

Ends