Gdansk, Poland (AP) with Chancellor Angela Merkel, cheering every step of the way, Germany has dominated Greece - the football field.
The Germans reached the semifinals of the European Championship record for the seventh time, beating Greece 4-2 on Friday in a game played between the bottom of the political disputes between countries.
But just like the real world, where Germany has been an important source of economic bailouts of Greece, the champions three times had control in the arena of Gdansk. And after the game, Merkel visited the players in the dressing room.
'' (Merkel) has congratulated us and told me he played very well,'' he said ahead of Germany Mesut Özil. '' The rest of what will be said between us.''
Philipp Lahm put Germany ahead in 39 minutes as his team controls almost all aspects of the game. Even Georgios Samaras tied to Greece in 55, all Germany was, after all, as Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus scored.
It 's been 15 consecutive competitive victory for Germany, dating back to win against Uruguay for third World Cup of 2010. The Germans for the No. 16 against England and Italy in the semifinals on Thursday in Warsaw.
Although Germany has dominated from the start, the Greek defense remained strong throughout most of the first. Lahm put his team in front by controlling the ball with his chest and dribbling towards the center before sending a shot from long distance in a corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Greece Michalis Sifaka.
'' I could not breathe and has done very little with our possibilities and from dead ball situations,'' said Greece coach Fernando Santos. '' The first goal was to put things very difficult for us, despite our good effort on defense.''
The Greeks looked better in the beginning of the second half, and tied to Samaras hit the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in Germany after a cross from Dimitris Salpigidis perfect.
He was one of the few incursions of Greece in the field the side of Germany.
'' Greece is a strange team. They had one chance and scored twice,'' said German coach Joachim Loew. '' But do not become nervous after 1-1 and reached the goals.''
They really have.
Khedira on the run from a center Jerome Boateng in 61, and Klose to head a free kick on 68 Özil as Sifaka was late to hit the ball.
'' When we conceded the second goal we had to open and it cost us,'' said Salpigidis. '' I hope that the Greeks had some incentive to see to fight.''
Reus was 4-1 in 74, shot a volley off the underside of the crossbar after Sifaka saved to Klose. Salpigidis added a consolation penalty for Greece in 89.
'' We scored two goals. We did what we could,'' said defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Greece. ''
Maybe we could have been a little 'more carefully, but we fight, we fight for all of Greece.''
Loew dropped his three main strikers for the game, including striker Mario Gomez, the leader, but their replacements did well.
Klose, who has Polish heritage, constantly concerned with the Greek defense and linked well with Özil and Andre Schuerrle.
Greece has had a major change in their training, but was due to suspension. Giorgos Karagounis captain missed the game after collecting a yellow card in the 1-0 win over Russia for diving.
Without him in midfield, the Germans had trouble controlling the game and create chances.
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