Euro 2012 qualifying: Turkey 1 Germany 3

Germany maintained their perfect record in Euro 2012 qualifying Group A with a 3-1 win away to Turkey.

Joachim Loew’s men were rampant in Istanbul, as Thomas Mueller provided a goal and two assists to lead the visitors to victory.

Amid early pressure from the hosts, Mario Gomez cooled German nerves as he fired Loew’s team ahead on 35 minutes.

The score remained at 1-0 until mid-way through the second half, when Mueller gave his side a buffer as he fired home a second strike.

Turkey got a lifeline late as Hakan Balta pulled a goal back on 79 minutes, but Bastian Schweinsteiger restored Germany’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot six minutes later.

The hosts played well from the start and were rather unfortunate to enter half-time a goal behind.

Hamit Altintop was through on goal within five minutes, but Manuel Neuer made a great reflex save to deny the Real Madrid man.

On the half-hour mark, Altintop did well to start a passing sequence that found Selcuk Inan open inside the box, but the Galatasaray midfielder fired well over the bar.

Altintop had another chance on 34 minutes, but Neuer saved and sent a long throw to Mueller, who crossed to Gomez.

The Bayern Munich striker dribbled past Servet Cetin and finished well, and Germany took their lead into the interval.

The visitors came out of the half-time break a more settled side, and were rarely troubled by a Turkey outfit that struggled for fluency in midfield.

Mueller made it 2-0 as he fired in a low drive from Mario Goetze’s assist.

Turkey prepared a late rally as the unmarked Balta met Gokhan Gonul’s cross and finished from close range in the 79th minute.

Any hope the hosts had of earning a late point was eliminated six minutes later, as a foul on Mueller resulted in a penalty that Schweinsteiger duly converted.

The result saw Germany extend their record to a perfect 27 points from nine games in Euro 2012 qualifying, while Turkey now are on the verge of missing out on next year’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Following Belgium’s 4-1 win over Kazakhstan, Guus Hiddink’s men are third in Group A, and will have to rely upon Germany to earn at least a draw in Tuesday’s match against George Leekens’ side if they are to qualify for a play-off.