Norway vs. Germany: Score, Reaction from World Cup 2018 Qualifier
Germany cruised to a 3-0 victory during their travels to Norway on Sunday, as they collected the points at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo in Group C of European qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Goals from Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich gave the world champions a solid lead at half-time.
Muller made it 3-0 on the hour mark with his second strike, wrapping up the simplest of wins.
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Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil, Julian Draxler and Muller were all back in the team, as Mario Gotze led the line for Die Mannschaft.
Bournemouth's Joshua King spearheaded the attack for the hosts, supported by Markus Henriksen. Even Hovland and West Ham United's Havard Nordtveit anchored the defensive unit.
The Germans looked comfortable from the opening minutes and passed the ball with purpose and vigour.
The visitors obtained the lead after 15 minutes as they poured into Norway's penalty box. The ball rebounded to Muller, who expertly fired his shot past goalkeeper Rune Jarstein.
Sky Football provided footage of his effort:
It was 2-0 on the stroke of half-time as Kimmich added his name to the scoresheet. The Bayern Munich youngster finished off a fine move between Ozil and Muller, giving his team a deserved second goal.
Football writer Albinko Hasic hailed the 21-year-old after his fine finish:
Norway continued to lack belief in the second half as German dominance was maintained with gusto.
The hosts appeared demotivated and lacking in spirit as Ozil and Muller dictated the flow of the game.
A third soon followed for the world champions as Muller popped up in the striker's role to claim his brace. The Bayern superstar had occupied a wider role for most of the game but drifted into the attack to double his haul.
King departed the pitch due to injury, and the home crowd were clearly muted as their side put up little fight or resistance.
The match was a procession for Germany in the final 20 minutes, and the ruthless visiting team sucked the life out of the contest.
Norway seemed content with their defeat, simply trying to limit Germany from handing out a thrashing, but Joachim Low's men took their foot off the gas with the points in the bag.
It was a hugely impressive performance on the road from Germany, and their efficiency was there for all to see as they strolled through the encounter.
Norway never caused their opponents any trouble despite their home advantage, and the Germans are expected to dominate the group on their way to the defence of their crown in Russia in 2018.
Post-Match Reaction
Ozil tweeted his satisfaction with the victory:
Low showed off his sense of humour after the match.
"For [Muller], I would have preferred it if he would have scored some goals at the European Championship," he said, per Omnisport (via Yahoo Sports). "He worked a lot and had many chances but did not score any goals."
Low also praised his team's overall performance: "We played very confidently. Norway did not come into play at all and had no opportunities to score."
