Germany midfielder Sami Khedira stepped into injured captain Michael Ballack’s boots with an impressive performance in their 3-0 win over hosts Hungary in a World Cup warm-up on Saturday.
|Last Updated: May 30, 2010, 02:21 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Budapest: Germany midfielder Sami Khedira stepped into injured captain Michael Ballack’s boots with an impressive performance in their 3-0 win over hosts Hungary in a World Cup warm-up on Saturday.
Germany’s makeshift midfield, with Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger being granted a few days of extra rest, looked strong with the 23-year-old Khedira in top form.
Ballack was ruled out of the June 11-July 11 tournament in South Africa last week with an ankle injury.
“Sami played very well in the first half,” coach Joachim Loew, who had to take Khedira off in the second half with a minor muscle problem, told German ZDF television.
“I liked him. He was also very good in organising the game,” Loew said.
Khedira, who now looks set to partner Schweinsteiger in central midfield at the World Cup, was lively in his fourth international appearance, repeatedly slicing open the Hungarian defence at will with quick, accurate passing in the first half.
Lukas Podolski fired Germany into an early lead with a powerful penalty and Mario Gomez added another in the 69th minute from close range before substitute Cacau netted his third goal in his last two matches with a fine solo effort in the 72nd minute.
“We had many chances and overall the team played really well,” Khedira said. “This is my favourite position and when I play there I try to help the team as much as possible.”
The margin of victory could have been much higher were it not for journeyman keeper Gabor Kiraly, who repeatedly denied the Germans with superb saves in the first half.
His German counterpart, Manuel Neuer, had little work in his first match after winning the starting spot for the World Cup on Friday.
Loew made a string of substitutions in the second half, including bringing on midfielder Marcell Jansen, who has recovered from an ankle injury in record time, as he considers which two players to cut from his preliminary 25-man squad by June 1.
Germany, who have been drawn in Group D alongside Serbia, Australia and Ghana at the World Cup in South Africa, play their last friendly against Bosnia in Frankfurt on June 3.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.