Germnay try for one more attack through Younes - but the referee halts them with the whistle! It's all over in Kaiserslautern and the hosts go through to the World Cup with ten wins from ten!
90'
Three added minutes incoming. Can Germany finish with a flourish?
89'
Sane tumbles down in a challenge but the referee instead penalises him for diving. Free-kick to Azerbaijan.
87'
N. Ələsgərov enters the game and replaces R. Şeydayev.
And a final change for the visitors too, with Şeydaev replaced by Namiq Ələsgərov.
85'
Azerbaijan aren't going down easy though - Mirzabekov rattles the woodwork with a brutal right-footer from just inside the box on that right flank for the visitors.
83'
Well, if this game wasn't well and truly over before, it is now, thanks to that beauty from the Liverpool man Can. Germany have resumed normal service in blistering fashion.
81'
E. Can has scored a goal for Germany! Assist by M. Ginter.
Blimey, what a monster strike from Can! He finds the back of the net with an absolutely beautiful shot, from forty yards out on the right - a gorgeous delivery. 5-1 to Germany with less than ten on the clock.
80'
Can feeds Younes on the left who tries to put the footwork on Qurbanov, but the Azerbaijan man is wise to the trick and briefly comes up with the ball.
79'
Wagner now hunts for the ball from a throw, deep in Azerbaijan territory, and gets it inside the box from Can - but he can't control the heavy cross and Aghayev sweeps in to collect.
78'
Younes whips one across the face of goal from the left, searching for Goretzka, but the double goal-scorer can't get there in time.
Minute
Description
77'
R. Qurbanov enters the game and replaces Ə. İsmayılov.
Another change for Azerbaijan - İsmayılov is off and Ruslan Qurbanov is on.
76'
Indeed, Younes takes it down that very flank - but some solid defending from Abisov stops him in his tracks.
75'
Brandt and Kimmich play it around the edge of the Azerbaijan box but choose to eventually play it back to bring it from the left instead of the right.
73'
..from which they earn a throw on the other side after Kimmich's effort beats all in the box. Germany are still lurking down deep in Azerbaijan territory - but eventually they misjudge a cross and Aghayev collects.
71'
Blinder of a stop by Aghayev on a rocket shot from Younes. Germany do have a corner though...
70'
A. Younes enters the game and replaces T. Müller.
...and the third for Germany as Müller has his place taken by Amin Younes.
69'
D. Nazarov enters the game and replaces C. Hüseynov.
A change for Azerbaijan now with Cavid Hüseynov replaced by Dimitrij Nazarov...
66'
L. Goretzka has scored a goal for Germany! Assist by L. Sané.
That fire may be well and truly out though! Sane gets the ball into the box on the left side, and plays a gorgeous flat pass across to Goretzka who, unmarked, slots home his second. 4-1 to Germany as they emphatically turn on the style.
65'
The other Huseynov on the pitch tries to make ammends and counters beautifully down field - but his effort is stopped sharp by Leno. No comeback goal yet - but still some fire from Azerbaijan.
64'
A. Rüdiger has scored a goal for Germany! Assist by J. Kimmich.
It certainly is! Kimmich whips it in from the left and it's substitute Rudiger who gets first touch. He clips it in - but it takes a glance off Badavi Huseynov and it is recorded as an own goal. Germany won't complain. 3-1 they lead.
Assist Joshua Kimmich
63'
Kimmich earns a corner for the hosts again though - and Germany have already scored from one. Is another goal on the way?
62'
Abisov then concedes a throw and Brandt catches a sleeping back four to nearly put Muller through, only for the visitors to wake up at the last minute and hurry a weak clearance.
61'
Brandt canters back down the right again but his cross falls loose to the Azerbaijan defence and Abisov whips it out of danger.
60'
Brandt gets it on the right and flicks back inside to Muller whose shot takes a rebound on the way to Aghayev - but the keeper is alert and steers it away.
57'
And then Muller can't turn it round again after Rudiger lofts a long cross to him. Germany are bearing down on Azerbaijan now though, using their full weight - the visitors are starting to flail around.
56'
The hosts miss another chance to go another goal up on the back of that deadlock-breaking score there, as Can hefts a finish way into the terraces behind.
54'
S. Wagner has scored a goal for Germany! Assist by J. Brandt.
And suddenly, Germany hit the front again! Wagner is delivered the ball by Brandt and he manages to bundle it just across the goal-line before Aghayev punches it away. It requires the video technology - and the goal is given! 2-1 to Germany!
53'
Wagner skies another one for Germany. The hosts are straight out of the blocks here but they're yet unable to turn it into a second goal.
50'
Another chance goes begging at the front for Germany as Wagner and Stindl come together whilst turning onto the same ball and Azerbaijan are able to ferry it out of danger in a hurry.
49'
After a period of treatment on the field, Aghayev appears fit to continue and clears the ball out with a goal kick. Rudiger collects and begins a new attack for Germany.
47'
Immediately drama as Brandt steamrollers through onto a ball and sees it rebound of Aghayev - but his follow-up shot instead catches the keeper on the full and scuffs off to the side of goal. The Azerbaijan man is down in agony.
46'
Azerbaijan tap and we're back underway. Can the hosts find their fifth gear again or are the visitors onto something special?
45' +3
A final chance for Stindl as the ball falls to him twenty-five yards out on the right - but he pushes it well over the crossbar as the referee blows for half-time!
45' +2
It's Sane who then puts a glorious chance wide. He runs onto the free-kick in the box, and gets close to the left post - but then sprays wide, well wide, to the right. Wasteful.
45' +1
R. Almeyda gets yellow.
This one comes to nothing and Sane breaks with a lightning counter. Almeida brings him down and is booked for his troubles. Three added minutes coming.
44'
Now Rudiger concedes a corner on the left flank. Ismayilov whips it in but Ginter's glancing head means they get one on the right.
43'
And now Can over-runs a pass on the left flank too and Azerbaijan get the throw. This is genuinely rattling Germany right now.
42'
Now Can earns a throw on the left, and gets it across to Muller, but he can't get the angle right and it goes out for a goal kick again.
40'
Germany are piling forward, trying to retake that lead, but Azerbaijan are holding on tenaciously. Muller tries to earn a corner but instead concedes a throw in his own half.
37'
Incredible reflexes from Aghayev! He punches away a fantastic header from Muller that was sailing into the top left corner after Ginter deployed an excellent cross. The score is 1-1.
36'
M. Ginter enters the game and replaces S. Mustafi.
Well, that wasn't in the gameplan for Germany, and they make their second change as Mustafi limps from the field with the aid of physios, having gone down defending that goal. Ginter takes his place.
34'
R. Şeydayev has scored a goal for Azerbaijan! Assist by T. Xəlilzadə.
Seydaev scores! An absolutely magical piece of solo footwork from the Azerbaijan striker sends Rudiger the wrong way twice, plus Mustafi, and then he manages to slip it underneath Leno in the bottom left corner. The visitors are right back in this.
31'
Wagner off the post! An absolute freak rebound from three feet out comes from the foot of the striker, after a wonderful cross back in from Kimmich. That should have been 2-0, there and then, were it not for Aghayev perhaps getting the smallest of glances on the ball.
30'
Azerbaijan earn a throw in their own half, taken by Xalilzada - but Kimmich picks his pocket and the visitors lose posession softly, not for the first time tonight.
28'
Rüdiger lobs another lovely ball downfield which Sane hooks in on the left wing - but the linesman says he has just strayed offside and Germany are hauled back.
26'
But they counter superbly with one of their own again, thanks to Muller who blitzes downfield. Only a cluttered defence stops him in his tracks and the ball spills away.
25'
Azerbaijan break on a counter again and Can is forced to clear up at the back. Germany have been caught a few times by that.
24'
Rüdiger already making an instant impact - he threads a killer ball through to Muller who just can't turn it around the way he wants on the edge of the Azerbaijan box on the left. Livewire in his first two minutes.
22'
A. Rüdiger enters the game and replaces N. Süle.
Hang on, an early change here - Rüdiger is on for Sule, who heads straight down the tunnel. He didn't look in too bad shape, but he's off the pitch now. A short starting cameo there.
20'
Down the other end, Emre Can gets it on the left, but he blows it will wide to the right from twenty-five yards out with a mis-hit ball. Still 1-0 at the twenty-minute mark.
19'
Nothing, as it turns out. The visitors play it out wide to the right then cross back in - but cluttered attack and defence from both sides eventually leads to a frantic German escape. Not as composed as Low would like at the back there.
18'
A free-kick in a promising spot for Azerbaijan now, after Amirquliyev is brought down twenty-five yards out in the centre. What can they do with this...
16'
Since that moment where they had the chance to unexpectedly bring it back square, Azerbaijan have started to look less nervy. Germany currently the better but Almeida frustrating them in midfield.
13'
Oh, a golden chance for the visitors goes begging! Seydaev slips a brilliant through-ball onto Almeida, inside the box and perfectly timed - but he can't quite get the angle on his shot under pressure and it skims wide to the left.
12'
A little bit of a tussle in the German left corner gives Azerbaijan a promising throw for Mirzabekov, but they can't make anything stick and the hosts ferry it away.
10'
That's just the start Joachim Low will have wanted from his men and they hound down the pitch in search of a second at double-speed, with Sane and Can just misjudging their crosses into the box. Azerbaijan survive - but at a goal down already, it's a long way back.
8'
L. Goretzka has scored a goal for Germany!
Badavi Huseynov gets a boot to a Brandt cross to put it out for a corner. Testing time for Azerbaijan...
And they’ve broke! A beauty of a corner from Kimmich curls in and falls to Goretzka, who taps a wonderful back-heel into the net on the left side. 1-0 to the hosts after less than ten minutes.
6'
Sane hefts another one long from forty yards on the left, this time looking for Wagner, but it runs too deep and Aghayev collects under little pressure.
4'
Sane gets a sniff of a chance on the left hand edge of the box but he pushes it wide and Aghayev is untested by the shot.
3'
Germany earn an early corner on their right flank and Kimmich whips it in - but none of his teammates are able to make anything of it and they are forced to back-pedal pronto by Amirquliyev.
1'
Stindl taps off and we're underway - and immediately, Azerbaijan spring a surprise counter-move, with Ismayilov getting a shot away at Leno, only to be pulled back for offside.
Good evening, and welcome to this, the final round of group stage qualification in Europe for the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia, as unbeaten Germany look to cap off a wonderful campaign with a tenth victory from tenth against eliminated Azerbaijan. As rumours swirl around the future of head coach Joachim Low, the reigning champions will look to maintain that perfect record against a side who they resolutely thumped 4-1 away in the return fixture back in March. Will they finish the competitive 2017 year on a high or Robert Prosinecki guide his side to a famous upset? Kick-off is just around the corner.
There’s already been drama elsewhere in Europe tonight, with Scotland dropping out of the tournament at the expense of Slovakia, but in Group C, all eyes are on Low as the 57-year-old emerges as a frontrunner for the permanent position of manager at Bayern Munich next summer, after the World Cup has concluded. The Bundesliga side have appointed former boss Jupp Heynckes as caretaker until the end of the season – but are understood to be keen on Low as their new man. National team manager Oliver Bierhoff however is adamant that they won’t lose Low’s services “without a fight”.
As for Azerbaijan, a shock win tonight would potentially have the chance to lift them to third, their best ever result in a World Cup or European Championship qualifying campaign. Currently ranked 105th globally, they have never reached the finals of a major competition, and will now turn their gaze towards Euro 2020. The boys from Baku won’t want to go down easily either; a drubbing of San Marino aside, they’re winless in Group C since a 1-0 victory over Norway exactly one year ago. Prosinecki, formerly of Real Madrid and Portsmouth, will be hoping he can record a legendary upset in Kaiserslautern tonight.
AZERBAIJAN (4-1-4-1): Aghayev, Xalilzada, Abisov, Mirzabekov, B Huseynov, Amirquiliyev, Qarayev, Almeida, C Huseynov, Ismayilov, Seydaev
Low has chosen to try a few new things with this game tonight; young blood in the form of Sule, Brandt, Sane and Can get the start. He’ll be hoping they can preserve that perfect record – and against a team like their opposition tonight, there’s every chance they’ll excel. Players are coming out for the national anthems.
Well, who saw that one coming? Azerbaijan were expected to be a pushover and for the first twenty minutes, Germany drove them around the park, with an early goal for Goretzka. But then a wonderful solo piece from Seydaev suddenly hauled the visitors back into the game - and they've clung on tenaciously and with some style. The hosts look stunned. Half-time in Kaiserslautern, it's Germany 1-1 Azerbaijan.
Well, it was a nervy first forty-five after Azerbaijan unexpectedly drew level again - but in the end, Germany showed their class to blow their minnow opposition off the pitch. A brace for Leon Goretzka plus scores for Antonio Rüdiger and Emre Can put paid to dreams of an upset - full-time in Kaiserslautern, it's Germany 5-1 Azerbaijan.
For the visitors, they will be left to try again to reach a maiden major tournument, when they aim to reach the pan-continental Euro 2020. But as for the hosts, they make it to Russia in style - where Joachim Low will hope to defend the title he won three years ago in Brazil. Until then though, thank you for joining us - good night and have a great week!
Commentary
More…