Big win boosts German hopes

Bierhoff gets Germany's goal bonanza underway

Germany 8-2 Liechtenstein

Germany earned a welcome boost ahead of Euro 2000 with an overwhelming victory over Liechtenstein.

The minnows had at one stage been level at 2-2 but an Ulf Kirsten hat-trick and two from Carsten Jancker in a whirlwind last 10 minutes ensured the night ended on a positive note for the reigning European champions.

Oliver Bierhoff got the scoring underway as early as the first minute, but Liechtenstein hit back on the break through Michael Stocklasa.

Soon after Lothar Matthaus had departed the scene as a precaution for a thigh problem, Mehmet Scholl put Germany back in front, but Liechtenstein again equalised through Mario Frick in the 56th minute.

Hamann congratulates Scholl on his goal

Marco Bode then gave Germany a lead they wouldn't relinquish and when Kirsten made it 4-2 with 10 minutes remaining the plucky minnows collapsed.

Kirsten got his second a minute later and his hat-trick goal was sandwiched by a double from Jancker.

But Germany's win is put in perspective by Liechtenstein's record of scoring just two goals in 10 Euro 2000 qualifiers.

The 25,000 crowd in Freiburg roundly booed the German team at half-time with the score at 2-1, and Ribbeck made seven changes for the second half.

It's always hard to play against so-called 'little' teams

Germany coach Erich Ribbeck

"It's always hard to play against so-called 'little' teams," coach Erich Ribbeck said after the game.

"It was only when we scored the third and fourth goals that we began to see that the opposition was tiring."

The German team now head for their base in the small Dutch town of Vaals and Matthaus has five days to get fit for Germany's opener against Romania on 12 June.

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Germany: Jens Lehmann (Hans-Joerg Butt 46); Markus Babbel (Marko Rehmer 46), Thomas Linke (Marco Bode 46), Lothar Matthaeus (Carsten Ramelow 30), Jens Nowotny, Christian Ziege (Sebastian Deisler 46), Dietmar Hamann (Michael Ballack), Jens Jeremies (Dariusz Wosz 46, Mehmet Scholl (Thomas Hassler 46), Paulo Rink (Carsten Jancker 46), Oliver Bierhoff (Ulf Kirsten 46).

Liechtenstein: Peter Jehle; Juergen Ospelt, Patrick Hefti, Martin Stocklasa, Harry Zech, Christoph Frick, Thomas Beck (Ronny Buechel 70, Herbert Bicker 88), Mario Frick, Daniel Hasler, Martin Telser, Frederic Gigon (Christof Ritter 79).

Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)