Spain soar, Germany stutter in friendly action

Spain underscored their status as World Cup favourites on Wednesday by swatting Austria 5-1 away in an international friendly encounter, David Villa twice on target.

But three-times winners Germany, who Spain beat in the final of Euro 2008, had to rely on a last-gasp goal from Lukas Podolski to secure a 2-2 home draw with Ivory Coast.

Reigning world champions Italy saw a second string side come through 1-0 at home to a Sweden team missing star player Zlatan Ibrahimovic with central defender Giorgio Chiellini netting in Cesena.

While Portugal were coming through their playoff match against Bosnia to sneak through the backdoor into the World Cup finals the team that beat them to automatic qualification, Denmark, had to come from a goal down to beat the United States 3-1 at Aarhus.

Two other qualifiers, Holland and Paraguay, parted goalless in the Netherlands while Serbia ended a 27-match unbeaten South Korea run with striker Nikola Zigic on target with the only goal in their game at Fulham’s Craven Cottage.

African Nations Cup hosts Angola meanwhile parted 0-0 with a Ghana side missing key players Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan.

Spain endured a tough opening period at the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna after Jakob Jantscher netted for the Austrians.

But inside three minutes Cesc Fabregas made things all-square and then Villa swooped on 21 minutes and again on the stroke of half-time to make it 3-1 and restore order for the furia roja, the Austrians caving in after the 27th-minute dismissal of Yasin Pehlivan.

Daniel Guiza and Pablo Hernandez scored within a minute of each other ten minutes into the second half as Vicente del Bosque’s fluid side ran away with the game.

“I’m delighted we keep on winning,” said Villa.

Germany’s meeting with Ivory Coast was a much closer affair with Seydoe Doumbia seemingly having won it with a late goal before Podolski, having netted a first-half penalty, struck at the death.

The fans in Gelsenkirchen first paid tribute to Hanover and Germany keeper Robert Enke after his suicide last week which has shocked the country.

“I was happy to be on the pitch at last because before the game our thoughts were with Robert,” said Podolski after Saturday’s Germany-Chile friendly was cancelled out of respect for Enke’s family.

Fans held a minute’s silence before kick-off in honour of Enke, who won his eighth cap in August to help Germany qualify for the finals.

Bremen’s Tim Wiese started in goal and Schalke’s Manuel Neuer took over.

Ivory Coast, who have also qualified for the World Cup, equalised Podolski’s opener when Neuer’s Schalke team-mate Heiko Westermann passed back to him and the 23-year-old goalkeeper made a hash of his clearance.

The ball slammed into the stomach of Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue and flew into the net.

Doumbia then made it 2-1 on 85 minutes before Podolski’s rescue act.