Germany edge out unlucky Austria as Dublin date looms

Germany rode their luck to beat Austria 2-1 and continue their perfect start to World Cup qualifying Group C in Vienna.

Marco Reus put Germany ahead just before half-time and Mesut Ozil added a second shortly after the interval from the penalty spot.

Zlatko Junuzovic pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 57th minute and they were unfortunate not to get at least an equaliser as they caused Joachim Low’s side lots of problems.

Germany will play the Republic of Ireland at Aviva Stadium next month.

Austria showed no fear in the early exchanges and were unfortunate not to take the lead on several occasions. In the fourth minute when Stuttgart forward Martin Harnik was put through on goal, but his shot took a deflection off the foot of Holger Badstuber and looped over the goal.

Harnik was a constant thorn in the side of the Germany defence and he sent shots either side of the goal as the home side started stronger in Vienna.

Alexander Ivanschitz, who also plies his trade in Germany with Mainz, went even closer with a shot that beat Manuel Neuer in the Germany goal but just missed the target.

Germany then broke in the 44th minute to open the scoring against the run of play. Miroslav Klose played the ball into the path of Reus, who came in from the left and shot low into the bottom left-hand corner with Austria keeper Robert Almer getting a hand to the ball but failing to keep it out.

Germany doubled their lead early in the second half when Thomas Muller was fouled inside the area by Veli Kavlak and Ozil scored from the spot.

Austria pulled a goal back in the 57th minute with Marko Arnautovic setting up his Werder Bremen team-mate Junuzovic to give the home team hope. And Austria continued to attack to the very end, pegging Germany back inside their own half but not taking their chances.

Emanuel Pogatetz saw a header cleared off the line by Philipp Lahm before Arnautovic missed the best chance late on, somehow shooting wide when it seemed easier to score.

Elsewhere in Group C, goals from Rasmus Elm and Marcus Berg ensured Sweden made a winning start to their qualifying campaign at the expense of Kazakhstan, coming out 2-0 victors.

The Scandinavians sat out last week’s round of fixtures, but gave their Group C opponents food for thought with a workmanlike performance in Malmo.

Sweden’s pressure finally paid off after 38 minutes when Mikael Lustig’s ball in from the left was turned into the net by Elm.

Sweden should have made it 2-0 at the start of the second half when Sebastian Larsson whipped in a cross for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the Paris St Germain striker saw his header tipped round the post by visiting goalkeeper Andrey Sidelnikov.

Kazakhstan, who caused Ireland such problems last Friday, had a rare sight of goal after 60 minutes when Pavel Shabalin saw his 12-yard strike cleared by Jonas Olsson.

Sweden made sure of the win in the fourth minute of stoppage time when substitute Berg put the finishing touch to Ibrahimovic’s cross.

Meanwhile in Group F, Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland side were held 1-1 by lowly Luxembourg as Daniel Mota equalised Dean Shiels’ opener. Wins for Portugal and Russia against Azerbaijan and Russia respectively already look to have made the North’s chances of qualifying very slim indeed.

In Group A, Serbia walloped Wales 6-1 in Belgrade, while Scotland were held 1-1 by Macedonia at Hampden Park. Belgium and Croatia drew 1-1 in the same group.

In Group I, world and European champions Spain had to wait until Roberto Soldado’s 86th minute strike to get the better of Georgia in Tblisi while France beat Belarus 3-1.