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Thomas Muller: Scored 11th minute penalty
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Thomas Muller bagged a hat-trick as Germany sailed to a
comfortable 4-0 win over 10-man Portugal in Group G of the World Cup.
Joachim Low’s side opened the scoring in Salvador after just
12 minutes, following referee Milorad Mazic’s decision to award Germany a
penalty.
Portugal’s Joao Pereira brought down Mario Gotze in the area
after the Bayern Munich playmaker had expertly swivelled past his marker, with
Muller converting the resulting spot-kick with aplomb.
Soon after the half-hour mark, Toni Kroos delivered a
sumptuous corner into the Portuguese area and an onrushing Mats Hummels powered
an unstoppable header beyond a hapless Rui Patricio to make the scoreline 2-0.
The game reached boiling point five minutes later after Pepe
appeared to flick Muller in the face with a flailing arm, with the latter
immediately falling to the floor. The Real Madrid defender leant in with his
head while the Germany forward was down, and the referee immediately brandished
a red card at Pepe – his first sending-off for Portugal.
Just before the break, Germany took full advantage of the
extra man after Muller pounced on a poor defensive clearance from Bruno Alves,
stroking the ball past Patricio to add a deserved third goal.
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Pepe (L): Sent off for clash with Thomas Muller
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It meant a hugely disappointing result for World Player of
the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, who had declared himself fully fit from his knee
injury.
Strangely, Portugal had dominated the opening exchanges and
Ronaldo inspired the first real chance of note as he played in Hugo Almeida,
but the moustachioed Portugal striker's effort was weak and easy for Manuel
Neuer to claim.
Neuer then came to the rescue again as Ronaldo threatened
once more. Miguel Veloso caught Philipp Lahm in possession and with the
Portuguese outnumbering the German defence, he sent Ronaldo racing in on goal
but he hammered his shot straight at Neuer from a tight angle.
After that, however - and partly aided by some shocking
defending - Germany assumed control.
Sami Khedira had already missed a golden opportunity when
keeper Patricio cleared the ball straight to his feet, and though he was 35
yards out, the Real Madrid midfielder should have done better with the empty
goal beckoning.
Moments later, Pereira pulled back Gotze as he twisted in
the box and the Portugal defender was lucky to be only booked by Serbian
referee Mazic.
Muller looked confident as he stepped up to take the
penalty, and he buried it emphatically to put the Germans ahead with 12 minutes
gone.
Gotze was denied by a last-ditch block after excellent work
by Mesut Ozil but from the 32nd-minute corner, Hummels crashed home a header to
make it 2-0 despite the attentions of two defenders.
Eder headed over from a corner as Portugal tried desperately
to get back into the game but then came Pepe's moment of self-destruction in
the 37th minute.
Muller went down claiming he had been caught in the face by
Pepe's arm, but the Real Madrid defender's reaction was to push his head into
the German forward's.
It may have been the lightest of head-butts but it was pure
stupidity from Pepe, who has previous for this kind of thing, and he was given
his marching orders.
Muller effectively ended any contest just before the break,
firing in off Patricio's body as Portugal's defence gave way again.
They had made heavy weather of getting the fourth, Gotze in
particular being wasteful, but finally Andre Schurrle crossed low and Patricio
merely palmed the ball to Muller to poke home from close range with 12 minutes
left.
Ronaldo's influence was strictly limited; only a blistering
free-kick right at the final whistle which was brilliantly saved by Neuer
hinted at what might have been.
Germany move on to a clash with Ghana in Fortaleza on
Saturday, while Portugal meet the USA in Manaus on Sunday.
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