Germany 7 - 0 San Marino: Sandro Wagner hits hat-trick as Germany crush San Marino

Posted Sunday, June 11, 2017 by PA

Hoffenheim forward Sandro Wagner scored a hat-trick as Germany thrashed San Marino 7-0 to maintain their 100 per cent record at the top of World Cup qualifying Group C.

Despite manager Joachim Low making a number of changes for the world champions, who are set to head off to the Confederations Cup in Russia without several of their regulars, it was a thoroughly professional performance at Stadion Nurnberg.

Captain Julian Draxler opened the scoring after 11 minutes, with a double from Wagner, making his first competitive appearance for Die Mannschaft and Amin Younes' close-range effort making it 4-0 by half-time.

The one-way traffic continued in the second half, with Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi knocking in a fifth shortly after the restart, before Julian Brandt bagged his first international goal with a diving header and Wagner secured the match ball when he nodded in five minutes from time.

Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen started in goal as one of five changes from the team which drew 1-1 in Tuesday night's friendly against Denmark.

Germany went ahead after 11 minutes when San Marino failed to clear the penalty area, with the ball dropping to Draxler, who curled a shot back into the far corner past Elia Benedettini.

The home side continued to press and doubled their lead just five minutes later through a powerful header from Wagner as he converted a right-wing cross from Joshua Kimmich for his first international goal.

Die Mannschaft were 3-0 up after 29 minutes following more poor defending by San Marino when Draxler's cross was knocked into the path of Younes, who set up Wagner to slot in his second of the night.

Younes got on the scoresheet himself in the 38th minute when Benedettini could only palm a cross onto Pierfillippo Mazza, with the loose ball slid into an unguarded net by the Ajax winger.

Wagner missed his chance of a first-half hat-trick when he was played in by Brandt, but smashed his shot against a post.

The second half was barely two minutes in when Germany added a fourth as Arsenal defender Mustafi scrambled the ball into the bottom corner past the desperate dive of Benedettini following a corner.

Low made some changes as the hour mark approached, with Marvin Plattenhardt and striker Timo Werner sent on.

It remained one-way traffic as Mustafi's header was cleared off the line.

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Brandt netted his first international goal after 72 minutes with a diving header from Kimmich's cross.

Leipzig frontman Werner saw his header clip the near post, before Wagner sliced wide in front of goal.

The Hoffenheim forward, though, did secure his hat-trick with five minutes left when he headed a right-wing cross from Kimmich into the far corner.

Germany restored their five-point lead at the top of Group C ahead of Northern Ireland, who had secured an injury-time win over Azerbaijan in Baku earlier on Saturday.