Germany crush Greece to reach semis

Greece to pack their defence, coach Joachim Loew opted for veteran Klose up front with pace and width supplied by Reus and Andre Schuerrle. Aggressive from the start, Germany looked determined not to get bogged down on a pitch made heavy by two days of rain and they set about creating chances. Schuerrle put the ball in the net after less than five minutes, prodding it in after Greece keeper Michalis Sifakis spilled Sami Khedira's shot on the greasy turf but a linesman's flag curtailed the celebrations. Greece, with defensive midfielder Grigoris Makos replacing suspended skipper Giorgos Karagounis, dug in but it was one-way traffic as Khedira and Reus wasted good chances. Coach Loew was visibly angry at his side's profligacy but the Germans remained patient and were rewarded after 39 minutes when Lahm produced an unstoppable finish that had watching German Chancellor Angela Merkel leaping out of her seat. The ball was worked to him 25 metres from goal on the left and there was only one thing on his mind as took a few paces forward before unleashing a right-foot shot that swerved past the desperate dive of Sifakis. It seemed the only danger to Germany was an occasional lapse in concentration and they were punished severely 10 minutes after the break when they were caught short at the back as Dimitris Salpingidis galloped down the right and slid in a pinpoint cross that was converted by Giorgos Samaras. The equaliser was met with a sense of disbelief in the stadium, apart from a clump of 2,000 or so joyous Greek fans behind the goal. Germany quickly cleared their heads and were back in front six minutes later when Boateng's cross was met with a stunning volley from Khedira before Klose climbed high to head in Mesut Osil's free kick. With 2008 runners-up Germany on cruise control, Reus slammed in the fourth as their fans began to dream of a fourth European title that looks well within their grasp.from gulfnews.com