Klose - hat-trick of headers. (Allsport)

By Dave Tindall

FT: Germany 8 Saudi Arabia 0.

Man-of-the-match: Miroslav Klose will probably never score an easier hat-trick but his trio of headers makes him the obvious pick. The striker also scored a triple in a recent friendly against Austria and will now have his eyes on the Golden Boot. Anyone who backed him before the tournament to be top scorer could have got 125/1!

90 min: The referee finally puts Saudi Arabia out of their misery as Germany complete their 8-0 rout. It's Germany's biggest ever win in the World Cup and the biggest win in the tournament since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982.

90 min: GOAL - SCHNEIDER. From the free-kick Schneider curls the ball into the top corner to make it 8-0 to Germany.

90 min: Noor picks up a yellow card after a foul on Neuville just outside the area after the referee had ignored an offside flag.

90 min: There will be three minutes of added time.

88 min: An underhit back pass almost gifts Germany an eighth but the goalkeeper reacts just in time.

87 min: Al Jaber plays a one-two on the edge of the German box but is eventually crowded out.

86 min: Abdulaziz Al Khathran breaks clear down the left but gets too excited and blazes the ball over. A half-chance only but probably their best of the game.

84 min: GOAL - BIERHOFF. It's 7-0 as Bierhoff runs onto a pass through the middle and toe pokes it past the surprised goalkeeper from outside the box.

83 min: Hamann picks up a needless yellow card for a push.

82 min: Ballack can't get a clean header to a right-wing cross and the goalkeeper makes the catch.

81 min: The Saudis almost break free but Al Jaber is flagged for offside.

80 min: There are 10 minutes left for Germany to improve their goal difference further.

79 min: Al Daeyea saves with his feet to deny Ballack a second goal.

77 min: Both sides make a substitution. Al Hassan Al Yami is replaced by Abdallah Al Dossari while Oliver Neuville comes on for hat-trick hero Klose.

76 min: The Saudis finally have a shot on goal but Ibrahim Al Shahrani balloons his effort high over the bar.

75 min: Klose almost grabs his fourth of the match but Al Daeyea saves to his left. Klose was listed as a 125/1 shot to win the Golden Boot prior to the tournament.

74 min: Ziege shoots wide.

73 min: GOAL - LINKE. Every cross seems to bring a goal now as Linke heads home Ziege's corner to make it 6-0 to the Germans.

70 min: Klose almost sets up Bierhoff for a sixth German goal but the ball is cleared for a corner from which Germany can't profit.

69 min: GOAL - KLOSE. The German striker completes his hat-trick and yet again it's a header - this time from a Schneider cross.

68 min: Al Daeyea gets his fingertips to the corner and the Saudis complete the clearance. Germany win the ball back and Ziege releases Ballack but the midfielder lobs the ball wide.

67 min: Tukar needs treatment after falling awkwardly after an acrobatic clearance which gives Germany a corner.

66 min: Germany replace Jancker with Euro 96 golden goal hero Oliver Bierhoff.

65 min: Al Jaber gets behind the German defence for a split-second but the ball is cleared for a throw.

65 min: Ziege's cross is gobbled up by the goalkeeper.

64 min: Ballack goes up for a header at the far post but can't get a clean contact and the ball goes for a goal-kick.

62 min: A gasp from the crowd as the Saudis approach the German area. But before they can get a cross in, Germany brush them off the ball and start another attack.

61 min: Ballack tries to fashion a shot but mishits it. The ball breaks back out to Jeremies who thumps his shot over the bar.

59 min: Germany win back-to-back corners. They clear the first and Al Daeyea juggles the ball and finally catches the second.

58 min: It's hard to believe that the Saudis beat Senegal 3-2 in a recent friendly. They hardly seem to be trying.

56 min: Both sides seem to be going through the motions in the early stages of the second half.

55 min: Ballack is called for a foul after pushing in the box.

53 min: Frings bursts into the box and goes down under a challenge as he pulls the trigger. There's half-hearted appeals for a penalty but referee Ubaldo Aquino isn't interested.

51 min: German goalkeeper Khan finally gets in the action - but only to race out of his area and hack the ball forward.

50 min: Germany earn another corner but this time Al Daeyea makes the catch.

49 min: Germany win a corner. The ball runs across the area to Linke who hooks the ball wide with his left foot.

48 min: Germany are playing keep ball.

47 min: Ziege swings in a free-kick from the left but the goalkeeper plucks it out of the air easily.

46 min: Tukar is whistled for a foul on Ballack. At least the Saudis seem to be attempting tackles now.

46 min: Saudis bring on Ibrahim Al Shahrani and Abdulaziz Al Khathran for the second half while for Germany Jens Jeremies replaces Carsten Ramelow. Germany get the action under way.

45 min: Half-time. Germany can never have played a more comfortable 45 minutes of football as they go into the break 4-0 up. It's hard to imagine a worse team than the Saudis in recent World Cup history.

45 min: GOAL - JANCKER. Jancker gets a deserved goal after firing home at the near post after the Saudis fail to deal with Frings' cross.

45 min: There will be two minutes of added time.

44 min: The Germans are knocking it about for fun as the game approaches half-time resembling a practice match.

43 min: Ziege upends Ahmed Al Dossari and picks up a yellow card.

42 min: The Saudis break down the right but Al Yami overruns the ball and loses possession.

40 min: GOAL - BALLACK. Another ridiculously easy goal for Germany. Ziege has all the time in the world to pick out the unmarked Ballack who heads home Germany's third.

39 min: Ziege tries a left-foot volley at the far post but shins it wide.

38 min: Nawaf Al Temyat shows a flash of skill to beat his man but Germany quickly win the ball back.

37 min: Schneider tricks his defender to work space for a cross down the right but the Saudi defence head clear.

35 min: Ballack brushes Khamis Al Owairan off the ball to highlight Germany's far superior physical power.

33 min: Germany win a corner off Redha Tukar. Jancker goes to meet it at the near post but heads over under pressure.

32 min: Al Yami almost springs the German offside trap but is flagged for offside.

32 min: Ziege crosses after another spell of uncontested German possession but the goalkeeper comes to make the catch.

30 min: Germany try to play Ziege in but the Saudis get a foot in and clear.

29 min: Saudi Arabia win their first corner. Germany clear but Al Jaber gets the chance to shoot but he wastes it.

29 min: The shot count so far reads Germany 11 Saudi Arabia 0.

28 min: Jancker's back-heel sets up Ballack but he drags his shot wide.

27 min: Jancker tries to turn the defence again but concedes a free-kick.

25 min: GOAL - KLOSE. The striker grabs his second of the game to double Germany's lead. Ballack easily beats his man down the left and Klose heads home his cross.

24 min: Jancker heads Ziege's cross just over but is flagged for offside. The Saudi defence just can't handle the 6ft 5ins frontman at the moment.

23 min: Germany get behind the Saudi defence again. The men in green clear it unconvincingly and Hamann lets one fly from range which the goalkeeper takes cleanly.

22 min: The Saudis enjoy a rare spell of possession but then give the ball away again. At this stage they look out of their depth.

20 min: GOAL - KLOSE. Germany go 1-0 in front. The ball comes in from the left from Ballack, Jancker misses it but Klose stoops to head home at the far post. It's no more than Germany deserve.

18 min: Frings tries his luck from long range but his shot is well watched by Al Daeyea.

17 min: Bernd Schneider wins Germany a corner. He swings it in himself but the Saudis head clear.

15 min: Midfield dangerman Ballack makes his first impression on the game as he thumps a left-foot shot from outside the box that curls just wide of the post.

14 min: Klose fires in a cross-shot but Al Daeyea dives to his right to make the save.

13 min: Germany attack down the right and win a throw. The ball is worked to Torsten Frings whose cross is headed over by Miroslav Klose.

12 min: Al Jaber tries to pick out strike partner Al Yami but puts too much on the ball and Oliver Khan collects.

11 min: The Saudis ease the pressure by winning a free-kick after a foul by Christoph Metzelder.

10 min: Germany win a free-kick on the left but waste it as the ball sails through to the goalkeeper.

8 min: Jancker wins a three-man battle for the ball on the edge of the box between defender Abdullah Sulaiman Zubromawi and goalkeeper Mohammed Al Daeyea and runs the ball into an empty net. But the referee has blown his whistle and the 'goal' doesn't count.

7 min: Jancker gets behind the Saudi defence yet again and rises to meet Ziege's cross but gets too much on it and it goes wide.

6 min: Germany have made much the better start. The Saudis look nervous at this stage.

5 min: Jancker is caught offside as he chests the ball down and prepares to shoot.

4 min: Germany again find Jancker in a deep position. He lays the ball out to the left but Christian Ziege's cross is overhit.

3 min: Sami Al Jaber tries to break down the left but is halted by a strong tackle from Thomas Linke.

2 min: Germany have early possession and work the ball forward to Carsten Jancker inside the area. He shows good strength to hold off his marker and fires dangerously across goal but it goes behind for a goal-kick.

1 min: Saudi Arabia get the game under way in the indoor stadium in Sapporo, Japan.

Pre-match: Germany go into the match as the 4/11 favourites with Saudi Arabia 8/1 outsiders and the draw 7/2. Germany's influential midfielder Michael Ballack has shaken off an injury to take his place in the starting line-up and partners Dietmar Hamann in the centre of midfield. For the Saudis, former Wolves forward Sami Al Jaber is likely to play just behind lone striker Al Hassan Al Yami.