Belgium had started this must-win game the better side, but their spark had faded somewhat as the first half drew on and Germany were beginning to exert some dominance on their guests. However, as we got near the half-hour mark, neither team had had any real chances on goal, with Belgium's long-range efforts being charged down and Germany mostly kept out of the really dangerous areas.
Germany Vs. Belgium, Euro 2012 Qualifying: Mesut Ozil, Andre Schurrle Strike In Quick Succession To Give Germany 2-0 Lead
That sure changed in a hurry - first a bad mistake by Vincent Kompany allowed deadly striker Mario Gomez to go one-on-one with Simon Mignolet, who somehow managed to keep the ball out. The subsequent corner, however, wasn't properly dealt with, and Mesut Ozil was fed the ball 25 yards out. The Real Madrid midfielder took the shot first time, crashing the ball off the underside of the crossbar to make it 1-0 with an absolute peach of a goal.
Things got worse in a hurry for Belgium. With the visitors pushing for an equaliser, they left too many bodies upfield on a corner and when Ozil got the ball, he quickly fed Gomez, who was then able to lay the ball off for Andre Schurrle for the 20 year-old to lay in a delightful chip over Mignolet from outside the box and make it 2-0. And to think things had started so promisingly for Belgium, too - Germany have just laid on a hammer blow for their qualification hopes.
See More:
