Germany destroy Ireland in World Cup qualifier in Dublin

Germany made it three wins from three in World Cup qualifying group C with an emphatic 6-1 win over the Republic of Ireland at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

Germany went into the break two goals up thanks to a brace from Marco Reus, and dominated the early stages of the second half with three goals in six minutes.

Mesut Ozil netted from the penalty spot in the 55th minute, then Miroslav Klose added a fourth and substitute Toni Kroos made it 5-0 just after the hour mark.

Kroos scored his second of the night on 83 minutes, before Ireland substitute Andy Keogh headed a late goal that was a poor consolation.

"It's a massive humiliation," said Ireland's stand-in captain John O'Shea.

"There's a way to lose a match and that wasn't the way to lose a game."

Even Germany coach Joachim Loew was scathing of his opponents, even though he gave his men plenty of credit for the scale of the win.

"There was not enough pressure from them, but we have also become better than in the previous couple of matches," Loew said.

"We are getting more dynamic, stronger."

Seamus Coleman made his first competitive start for Ireland at right-back with O'Shea joining Darren O'Dea in the middle. Keith Fahey and James McCarthy started in midfield with Jon Walters the lone frontman.

Germany coach Joachim Loew made three changes to the side which beat Austria, with Jerome Boateng, Per Mertesacker and Bastian Schweinsteiger coming in.

Ireland started brightly, with an early corner and a snap shot from Keith Andrews that ended up dribbling well wide of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s goal.

But Germany soon imposed themselves on the game, with Boateng causing Stephen Ward all kinds of problems down the right, and Sami Khedira and Ozil finding an extra yard of space in midfield.

The Germans should have opened the scoring just before the half-hour after a mistake by O’Shea in his own area.

The Ireland captain lost control when turning, and Reus nipped in to nick the ball. O’Shea seemed to then pull back and clip the Borussia Dortmund striker, but referee Nicola Rizzoli decided the German had dived and showed a yellow card for simulation.

Inevitably heckled by the Ireland fans, Reus silenced the boos just two minutes later as he emphatically gave Loew’s side the lead. Marcel Schmelzer’s attempted chest down in the area deflected off Coleman, and Reus was able to barge past Klose to slam his shot past Ireland goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.

Reus then scored his and Germany’s second six minutes before the break, with a thumping finish from the left-hand side of the box after a brilliant counter-attack. Schmelzer tackled Coleman on his own touchline, and the ball went via Ozil and Boateng’s 25-yard crossfield pass for the 23-year-old to slam past Westwood.

Germany scored a third six minutes into the second half when Klose, awaiting Muller's pass, went down under a rash challenge from O'Dea, and referee Rizzoli rightly awarded the penalty.

Ozil’s penalty was impudent, as he waited for Westwood to move then flicked the ball into the top corner to make it 3-0.

On 58 minutes, Germany netted a fourth as Kroos threaded the ball through the right hand edge of the box, and Klose converted from an acute angle past Westwood and the dive of O'Dea on the line.

Three minutes later, and it was five as O'Shea failed to get enough purchase on a defensive header, and Kroos volleyed past Westwood from 25 yards.

The impressive Kroos, who only came on at half-time as a substitute for Khedira, scored his second of the night and Germany’s sixth as he cut inside McCarthy before slamming a shot past Westwood from 25 yards.

Ireland substitute Keogh headed home Robbie Brady's corner from the right for a late consolation in injury-time, but by that stage the Ireland fans had made their displeasure at their team’s performance known by booing manager Giovanni Trapattoni as he rose from his dug-out to shout instructions.

Marco Reus - Germany: Reus was excellent, constantly dragging the Ireland defence out of position and showing great coolness in front of goal as he took the game away from the home side in the first half with two goals in eight minutes.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Westwood 5, Coleman 4, O'Shea 4, O'Dea 4, Ward 6, McGeady 4, McCarthy 4, Andrews 4, Fahey 4, Cox 5, Walters 6. Subs: Long 5, Keogh 6, Brady 5

GERMANY: Neuer 7, Boateng 7, Mertesacker 7, Badstuber 7, Schmelzer 8, Khedira 7, Schweinsteiger 7, Ozil 8, Muller 8, Reus 9, Klose 8. Subs: Podolski 7, Kroos 9, Schurrle 7