Lehmann saves German campaign

Germany reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup as two saves from Jens Lehmann ensured a 4-2 victory on penalties against Argentina after the two sides had drawn 1-1 after 120 engrossing minutes.

Lehmann heroics
Roberto Ayala's thunderous header early in the second half that had put Argentina in front and threatened to end the hosts' interest in the competition, only for Miroslav Klose to equalise ten minutes from time with his fifth goal of the competition. With neither side able to find a winner in extra time, the match went to penalties and Lehmann thwarted Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso to take the hosts into the last four. They will play Italy in the first semi-final in Dortmund on Tuesday evening.

Early opportunities
The World Cup hosts had scored in the first ten minutes of three of their previous four matches, and went close twice in the early stages at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Roberto Abbondanzieri gathered Lukas Podolski's shot at the second attempt before German captain Michael Ballack rose unmarked to meet Bernd Schneider's cross but directed his header wide. Argentina had the majority of possession in the first 45 minutes but were unable to find their way through a well-organised German rearguard, while Jürgen Klinsmann's team struggled to put their opponents under serious pressure.

Powerful headers
The match changed four minutes into the second period as Argentina won a corner down the right and, from Juan Román Riquelme's perfect cross, Valencia CF defender Ayala powered in a downward header. Ballack and Maxi Rodríguez had chances at either end before the Germans levelled with ten minutes left of normal time, substitute Tim Borowski flicking on Ballack's left-wing cross for Klose to nod beyond Leo Franco, on for the injured Abbondanzieri. That took the match into a tense period of extra time, and set the scene for the penalty drama that was to follow.