International round-up: Germany remain in cruise control

Five games, five wins, and only one goal against. Germany are cruising towards the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine next year.

They had a 4-0 stroll against Kazakhstan in Kaiserslautern, Miroslav Klose and Thomas Müller each scoring twice as Germany moved eight points clear at the top of Group A.

Manchester City's new signing Edin Dzeko scored a late winner to rescue Bosnia-Herzgovina's challenge in France's Group D with a 2-1 victory over Romania.

Bulgaria and Switzerland played out a 0-0 draw in Sofia to leave leaders England and Montenegro six points clear of the rest in Group G.

Bulgaria, captained by Aston Villa's Stiliyan Petrov, had the better of a rugged encounter but rarely troubled Marco Wölfli in the Swiss goal. In a busy finish, Reto Ziegler, once of Tottenham Hotspur, went close with afree-kick before Mario Gavrancic brought a save out of the home goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov as the five minutes of added time ebbed away.

There were plenty of Premier League players in action elsewhere. Russia had four in their squad captained by Andrey Arshavin in Armenia. Yuri Zhirkov also started the match, with Diniyar Bilyaletdinov replacing Arshavin in the last minute of a 0-0 draw that kept Russia in contention with the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia. Roman Pavlyuchenko did not make it off the bench.

Pavlyuchenko's Tottenham team-mates fared better in Tblisi, with Modric, Corluka and Kranjcar all starting for Croatia against Georgia, but it was not a happy day for the trio. Levan Kobiashvili snatched the only goal, with Georgia's only shot on target in the 89th minute.