Republic of Ireland 1 - 6 Germany: Sorry Ireland hit for six

By DAMIAN SPELLMAN
Published on 13/10/2012 02:22

Giovanni Trapattoni’s reign as Republic of Ireland manager hurtled into crisis as his side was trounced by ruthless Germany.

SCORERS:

Republic of Ireland - Keogh 90

Germany - Reus 32, 40, Ozil 55 (pen), Klose 58, Kroos 61, 83

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)

Attendance: 51, 700

The 73-year-old headed into what was always likely to be an intensely difficult World Cup qualifier with question marks hanging over his ability to take Ireland forward, and emerged from it with his band of critics having increased markedly in number.

Ireland were simply overpowered by the team ranked second in the world with Marco Reus firing them into a 2-0 half-time lead before Mesut Ozil, Miroslav Klose and a double from substitute Toni Kroos completed the rout.

There was delighted applause from a capacity crowd when substitute Andy Keogh headed home in injury time, but the consolation was minimal.

Reus was booked for diving inside the Ireland penalty area on the half-hour but he did not have to wait long to erase his disappointment. Bastian Schweinsteiger played the ball over the top of Seamus Coleman and Aiden McGeady to full-back Marcel Schmelzer, and he cut inside to set up Reus, whose right-footed shot flew past Kieren Westwood and went in off the crossbar.

Trapattoni’s men had hardly had time to swallow their disappointment when Germany once again carved them open. Full-back Jerome Boateng’s crossfield pass arrived perfectly for Reus to smash a left-footed drive across Westwood and into the bottom corner.

Any hope of an unlikely fightback died in a disastrous start to the second half which saw Germany cruelly turn the screw when, after Darren O’Dea had crudely felled Klose inside the penalty area, Ozil sent Westwood the wrong way from the spot on 55 minutes.

The Sunderland goalkeeper conceded for a fourth time within three minutes when Klose ran on to Schweinsteiger’s tailor-made pass and rounded him before slotting into an empty net.

The Republic capitulated once again three minutes later when John O’Shea’s weak clearance fell perfectly for Kroos to help himself with a skidding shot inside the post.

Kroos deepened the wounds with seven minutes remaining, drilling home from 22 yards with the Republic in disarray and Trapattoni facing a grilling.

Rep of Ireland: Westwood, Coleman, O’Shea, O’Dea, Ward, McGeady, McCarthy, Andrews, Fahey, Cox, Walters. Subs: Forde, McShane, Long, Meyler, Kelly, Wilson, Clark, Keogh, Brady, Clifford, Randolph.

Germany: Neuer, Boateng, Mertesacker, Badstuber, Schmelzer, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Muller, Reus, Klose. Subs: Zieler, Howedes, Westermann, Schurrle, Podolski, Kroos, ter Stegen.