Esswein hands Germany win in Belarus

Alexander Esswein scored the only goal as Germany earned a comfortable UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying win in Belarus, outclassing their hosts to earn a third Group 1 victory.

The 1. FC Nürnberg striker collected a pass from Sebastian Rudy on the left and darted into the penalty area, beating Filipp Voytekhovich with a shot to the goalkeeper's near post on 29 minutes. Rainer Adrion's side dominated the game from start to finish, denying the home side any clear-cut chances and fashioning enough of their own to have made for a much more emphatic scoreline.

Belarus received a warning when Ilkay Gundogan shot over the crossbar on 25 minutes, but Yuri Shakhanov's side could not prevent Esswein from making the breakthrough. They had Voytekhovich to thank as they went in a the break only 1-0 down, the goalkeeper having saved well from Gundogan.

Pierre-Michelle Lasogga fired wide when well placed just before the hour mark, and with six minutes to go, Voytekhovich fended another Gundogan shot away, with Peniel Mlapa striking another effort over his crossbar in added time. Germany next meet second-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina on 6 October, while Belarus visit Cyprus the following day.