Group D: Lukas Podolski scored a pair of goals as Germany outclassed Slovakia 4-1 in Bratislava last night.

Podolski's first goal after 13 minutes in the game set the tone for the Germans, who attacked at will throughout the match on their way to making it three wins out of three in the campaign.

Michael Ballack and Bastien Schweinsteiger added two more before half-time in a game that was never in doubt.

Stanislav Varga spoiled goalkeeper Jens Lehman's shutout with a header in the 58th minute before Podolski scored his second of the evening when Miroslav Klose slotted the ball across the penalty area to his unmarked team-mate after the duo sprung the offside trap.

The game was marred briefly by a skirmish in the crowd when several German fans battled Slovak police, who used truncheons.

Before the match, about 180 German hooligans registered by German police were stopped at border crossings as they tried to travel to the match.

SLOVAKIA: Contofalsky, Peter Petras (Holosko 73), Varga, Skrtel, Durica, Karhan, Martin Petras, Svento, Kozak (Hodur 65), Mintal, Vittek. Subs Not Used: Hajduch, Sapara, Krajcik, Valachovic, Kratochvil. Booked: Peter Petras, Martin Petras. Goals: Varga 58.

GERMANY: Lehmann, Arne Friedrich, Manuel Friedrich, Fritz, Lahm, Ballack, Frings, Schneider (Odonkor 75), Schweinsteiger (Trochowski 77), Klose, Podolski (Hanke 85). Subs Not Used: Hildebrand, Madlung, Hitzlsperger, Neuville. Booked: Fritz. Goals: Podolski 13, Ballack 25, Schweinsteiger 36, Podolski 72. Att: 21,582.

Referee: T Hauge (Norway).