Germany Hit Liechenstein for Six in World Cup Qualifier

The losing Euro 2008 finalists took their time to get into scoring gear on a rainy night in Vaduz on Saturday, Sept. 6, but hit five goals after the break to warm up for a more difficult trip Wednesday to Finland.

Germany had scored 17 goals in their only two previous meetings against the principality, winning 9-1 in 1996 and 8-2 in 2000, but for a long time Liechtenstein proved stubborn opponents.

Lukas Podolski fired German ahead in the 21st minute with a crisp left-foot shot after a neat exchange of passes with Piotr Trochowski but it was all Germany had to show for first-half possession.

Trochowski had seen a shot saved by goalkeeper Peter Jehle in the fourth minute and Miroslav Klose should have scored a second for Joachim Loew's side but sidefooted the ball past Jehle and the post.

But Podolski added a second -- and his 30th for Germany -- three minutes after the break after Trochowski was again the provider, and the floodgates gradually began to open.

The Bayern Munich striker almost scored a third when he blasted the ball over the bar from close range, but Simon Rolfes and Bastian Schweinsteiger scored in the 65th and 66th minutes.

Thomas Hitzlsperger added a fifth 10 minutes later and defender Heiko Westermann made it six four minutes from time as the match turned into a stroll for Joachim Loew's side.