Germany have gone into half-time 2-0 up against Ecuador in their World Cup Group A encounter in the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Tuesday.

Both sides have already qualified for the last sixteen in the World Cup Finals, but the winner of this would top Group A and so face the runner-up in Group B.

Germany took an early lead, scoring after just 3 minutes of play after coming out of the traps very quickly.

Ecuador and Aston Villa defender Ulises de la Cruz failed to defend the ball in the area and Sebastian Schweinsteiger pulled the ball back to Miroslav Klose, who drilled the ball home from close-range.

The game, played in great heat and humidity in the Olympic Stadium, was not played at the greatest of paces and with half-chances for both sides, with Germany just shading the possession and Ecuador playing on the break.

Ecuador, with the exception of de la Cruz were defending well, and using the offside trap well to deny the hosts, who had a string of offside calls.

Klose had another chance in the 23rd minute, with a lovely ball played in from Bernt Schneider, but the Ecuador keeper Cristian Mora was too close and saved the shot.

Ballack was brought down by Jorge Guagua for a free-kick, but the Germans failed to capitalise on it.

Kaviedes had a shot go well wide in the 37th minute after a break from the South Americans, but neither side seemed too keen to push any attack too hard.

Germany doubled their advantage in the 44th minute, after the German captain Michael Ballack played a beautifully flicked through-pass to Klose who rounded the keeper and tapped the ball into the open net to make it 2-0 and the half finished that way.

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