Georgia 0 - 2 Germany: Visitors grind down hosts

Marco Reus netted the breakthough goal. Picture: Getty

First-half goals by Marco Reus and Thomas Müller gave the World Cup holders their first away win in Group D as Joachim Löw’s side moved level on ten points with Scotland.

Reus, who twice hit the crossbar, scored in the 39th minute when he was allowed to scoop the ball inside the near post after Mario Götze tried to force his way through. Müller sealed the win five minutes later with a low drive into the bottom corner.

Georgia were pegged back for long periods in Kakhaber Tskhadadze’s first game as coach.

“We’re trying to improve ourselves for the future. I’m not unsatisfied with our second-half efforts,” said Tskhadadze, who played for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1990s. “We shouldn’t forget that we were playing against a top team.”

Germany were looking for a good performance following a loss to Poland, a home draw with Ireland, and uninspiring wins over Scotland and Gibraltar.

“Looking at the table we had to win the game, it’s clear. I’m satisfied with the first half.

“We didn’t push it in the second,” said Löw, whose side was wasteful in the first half and struggled to create the same goal-scoring chances after the break. Reus rattled the crossbar in the fifth minute, when Giorgi Loria got his fingertips to his deflected shot, and Müller went close shortly afterwards.

It quickly became apparent that Georgia, roared on by enthusiastic fans, were going to have to rely on counterattacks or set-pieces in order to score. Captain Jaba Kankava caused some problems in midfield but Germany goalkeeper Manual Neuer ultimately had little to do.

Mesut Özil, Goetze and Müller missed good chances before Reus finally broke the deadlock and then Özil set up Müller to seal the result with his fifth goal in qualifying.

The game was held up briefly near the end when several fans made it on to the pitch to hug players from both sides.