Germany's Thomas Hitzelsperger, left, celebrates with Bastian Schweinsteiger during the Euro 2008 group D qualifying match between Germany and San Marino

Germany enjoy record 13-0 win at San Marino

SERRAVALLE, San Marino, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Germany crushed San Marino with a record-breaking 13-0 win on Wednesday, striker Lukas Podolski scoring four in a Euro 2008 Group D qualifier.
The victory is a record in a European Championship qualifying match -- bettering Spain's 12-1 victory over Malta in December, 1983.

Joachim Loew's side were 6-0 up by the interval against hopeless opposition and never eased up as they humiliated their mostly amateur opponents.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and Thomas Hitzlsperger all scored two goals each with Michael Ballack, Arne Friedrich and Bernd Schneider (penalty) also on target.
The result is Germany's best ever in a competitive, non-Olympic game and surpasses their 12-0 victory over Cyprus in a 1969 World Cup qualifier.
Germany's all-time record win was a 16-0 victory over Russia in the 1912 Olympics.
The result was also the worst in San Marino's history -- they had lost 10-0 to Norway in 1992.
Podelski began the rout in the 11th minute with a well-placed glancing header from a Bernd Schneider cross.
Ballack then missed a great opportunity, firing over an open goal from close-range after San Marino keeper Aldo Simoncini failed to hold on to a Schweinsteiger shot.
The lively Schweinsteiger made it 2-0 in the 29th minute, sliding in a low cross from Marcell Jensen.
Klose made it 3-0 on the half hour, latching on to a pass from Torsten Frings, rounding Simoncini and slotting home.
Schweinsteiger set up Ballack for Germany's fourth -- a soft shot which Simoncini should have been able to keep out.
In the 43rd minute Podolski finished off a smart move after first-time passes from Schweinsteiger and Schneider and Klose made it six on the stroke of halftime.
The Germany striker had the easiest of tasks to tap into an empty goal after Simoncini had spilled the ball out and Simone Bacciocchi failed to clear.
NO MERCY
With such a convincing lead, the Germans could have been forgiven for easing off after the break but they showed no mercy to the team from the tiny republic.
Two minutes into the second-half Schweinsteiger rattled a shot in off the post from an indirect free-kick to make it 7-0.
Podolski added the eighth after a low cross from David Odonkor in the 64th minute before Hitzlsperger volleyed in to make it nine just two minutes later.
A first-time left foot strike from Podolski took the tally to 10 and then Hitzlsperger was left totally unmarked to convert his second.
Friedrich headed in a corner to make it 12-0 in the 87th minute before the Germans were awarded a penalty.
Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who had enjoyed a very quiet night, raced the length of the pitch to take the penalty but the Germans had second thoughts about such a move and Schneider, who had tortured San Marino all night, got his personal reward from the spot.
The win maintains Germany's 100 percent start to qualifying following their 1-0 win over Ireland on Saturday.

GERMANY ROCKZ MAN!! MICHAEL BALLACK I LOVE YOU MAN!!..XD!!PODOLSKI TOO!!!! haiz too bad lah u guyz din won at fifa world cup..ur coach are sooo HYPER..rock on babes