Second-half substitutes David Odonkor and Oliver Neuville combined to give

Germany a spectacular injury-time victory over 10-man Poland.

It was one-way traffic in the final 15 minutes after Radoslaw Sobolewski was

handed his second yellow card with 15 minutes on the clock.

The three-time World Cup winners hit the post twice through Miroslav Klose and

Michael Ballack in the dying seconds before Neuville swept home Odonkor's cross

to send the sell-out crowd into a jubilant mood.

It was a close encounter from the first whistle, with Poland looking much

improved from the disappointing 2-0 opening loss against Ecuador.

Ballack was making an eagerly-awaited return after the nagging calf injury had

kept him out of the opening 4-2 victory over Costa Rica.

The future Chelsea striker took Tim Borowski4s place in central midfield, with

Jurgen Klinsmann granting out-of-form defender Arne Friedrich another chance to

prove himself at right-back in the only change in the German starting XI.

Under-fire Poland boss Pawel Janas kept influential midfielder Miroslav

Szymkowiak on the bench. Striker Ireneusz Jelen took his place, with Bartosz

Bosacki replacing Mariusz Jop in defence.

With just three minutes on the clock, referee Luis Medina Cantalejo handed out

his first booking after Jacek Krzynowek had felled Bernd Schneider in midfield.

Poland created the first chance of the match in the ninth minute but Maciej

Zurawski4s shot from 20 yards was easy for Jens Lehmann.

Play switched down the other end where Ballack created an opening for Miroslav

Klose with a nice left-wing cross, but the Polish-born striker had his shot

saved by Artur Boruc.

Germany almost broke the deadlock in the 21st minute following a neat cross

from left-back Philipp Lahm.

The youngster hit unmarked Klose with his pinpoint flick - only for the Werder

Bremen star to head wide from seven yards out.

Poland kept threatening, however, as Jelen had a promising cross blocked

inside the penalty area before Zurawski failed to get through with a 25-yard

free-kick from a central position.

In-form youngster Lahm, who had netted a fine long-distance strike against

Costa Rica, confirmed his brilliant shape by delivering another clever flick to

the danger area in the 36th minute.

Lukas Podolski controlled the ball well but could not get the ball past Boruc

from a left position.

A misplaced clearance from the German backline set up Zurawski in the penalty

area, but he dragged his shot wide.

After Bastian Schweinsteiger threatened with a long-distance blast, Podolski

should have put his side in the lead just before the break - again after Lahm

provided a superb flick from the left.

However, Podolski misfired from five yards out as an entertaining first half

reached a scoreless conclusion.

Poland, who looked much improved from their disappointing opening loss against

Ecuador, continued to frustrate their hosts when the contest resumed.

Germany lacked creativity to break out any significant openings, and their

frustration told in the 58th minute when Chelsea new boy Ballack was booked for

preventing further damage after Schneider had been deprived of the ball in the

attacking third.

A Frings free-kick then somehow got through to Klose, whose powerful blast was

parried by Boruc.

In the 64th Klinsmann brought on local hero David Odonkor for right-back

Friedrich, with the Borussia Dortmund winger pleasing the sell-out crowd of

65.000 with two dangerous, yet unsuccessful runs on the left.

Poland were reduced to 10 men in the 75th when Sobolewski picked up his second

yellow card after halting a Klose breakaway.

Germany, now in complete control, then warmed up for a spectacular finish.

Lahm forced Boruc into a brilliant save following a mazy dribble from the left

before the Celtic goalkeeper got a hand to Neuville4s shot, after substitute Tim

Borowski had set him up.

Germany then twice hit the bar twice in as many seconds - Klose heading a Lahm

cross against the woodwork before Ballack again found the frame with his

close-range follow-up.

But the substitutions eventually paid for Klinsmann in added time.

Odonkor burst down the right flank, with Neuville - who replaced Podolski in

the 71st minute - sweeping his low cross home from close range to spark

celebrations among the home crowd.

It continued Germany's fine run against Poland (11 wins and four draws), at a

venue where they have won 13 and drawn one of their 14 home internationals.