Germany's midfielder Thomas Mueller during the match against Czech Republic in Hamburg, Saturday. AFP Paris: Thomas Mueller scored twice for the second World Cup qualifier in a row to lead dominant Germany to a comprehensive 3-0 win over Czech Republic on Saturday.
Toni Kroos was also on target to leave the world champions on six points from two games in Group C, alongside Azerbaijan after they beat Norway 1-0 in Baku with an early goal by Maksim Medvedev, and firmly on course for the finals in Russia in 2018.
Mueller failed to score at Euro 2016 this summer but has since rediscovered his goalscoring touch at international level with four goals in his country's opening two qualifiers.
He tucked away Mario Goetze's pass to nudge Germany ahead on 13 minutes, before converting a Jonas Hector cross midway through the second half after Kroos had doubled the lead shortly after the break.
Kyle Lafferty struck twice, Steven Davis converted a penalty and Jamie Ward also scored to hand Northern Ireland a 4-0 win over San Marino, while Norway suffered a shock 1-0 loss away to Azerbaijan, who now have two wins from two.
Robert Lewandowski, Mueller's strike partner at Bayern Munich, tormented Denmark as he grabbed a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory in Warsaw to leave Poland level on four points with Montenegro and Romania in Group E.
England win
England ground out a low-key 2-0 victory over Malta in 2018 World Cup qualifier in interim manager Gareth Southgate's first game in charge.
Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli scored first-half goals in front of a crowd of 82,000 at Wembley to steer England to a second straight win in Group F, leaving them two points clear at the top.
Liverpool striker Sturridge headed superbly back across Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg in the 29th minute following an inviting cross from club team-mate Jordan Henderson.
Alli then combined cleverly with Henderson to grab England's second goal seven minutes before half-time, the duo exchanging passes on the edge of the area before the former poked home the rebound after his initial effort was saved.
"We, at times, played some really nice stuff in both halves, and had plenty of chances to have made it more comfortable," said Southgate, who has been appointed on a temporary basis following Sam Allardyce's shock departure.
Southgate and England will expect a much trickier assignment in Ljubljana when they take on Slovenia, who claimed an important 1-0 home win over Slovakia, in three days' time.
Substitute James McArthur rescued a point for Scotland with an 89th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to Lithuania, who had taken the lead through skipper Fiodor Cernych.
Other games
Romania thrashed 10-man Armenia 5-0 in Yerevan as the visitors punished their opponents after the dismissal of Gor Malakyan in just the third minute, while Montenegro defeated Kazakhstan by the same scoreline.
In Group C, Azerbaijan beat Norway 1-0, while Northern Ireland thrashed San Marino 4-0.
Poland defeated Denmark 3-2 in Group E, while in Group F Slovenia got the better of Slovakia 1-0 and Scotland drew with Lithuania.
(With agency inputs)
