Germany 3-0 Slovakia, Uefa Euro 2016 - Julian Draxler inspires world champions to comfortable victory

Easy as you like for the world champions. Goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler have sealed their most comprehensive victory to date in this competition against a thoroughly outclassed Slovakia. Greater tests lie in wait however, with Italy or Spain to come in their quarter-final.

Full-time: Germany 3-0 Slovakia

Germany are immediately provided with another chance to work a fourth when Ozil wins a free kick out on the right. Kroos, whose delivery has been sublime in this Championship, decides to shoot from an improbable angle and whips his effort over the bar.

Kroos almost adds a fourth! Kimmich saunters down the right flank and cuts a superb ball back into the box where three Germany players are lurking. The Real Madrid midfielder gets to the front of the queue but his drive is well saved by Kozacik.

Slovakia are looking a bit cream-crackered, Germany are still stroking the ball around making them chase around in vain. Kornel Salata has come on as a result.

Germany meanwhile seem on a mission to tee up Podolski to score.

Kimmich dinks in a sublime ball ight into Podolski's boot. He takes a touch and rifles a low effort on goal, but it is well blocked by the Slovakia goalkeeper. The offside flag is up anyway, but the former Arsenal forward appeared to be level.

10 minutes remaining here and Slovakia are fading while Germany seem satisfied.

And here's Germany's final change, Bastian Schweinsteiger replaces Khedira.

Boateng, on a yellow yellow card, comes off to a standing ovation and is replaced by Benedikt Howedes. The crowd stay standing as Lukas Podolski replaces the sensational Draxler.

Draxler has been Germany's man of the match today; his tidy volley has made it three for Germany.

Mats Hummels is shown the softest yellow card you'll see this summer for clearing the ball away from Sestak.

It's a third of Germany and no one is more deserving of getting on the scoresheet than Julian Draxler. Kroos lifts a corner kick in which Hummels meets, nodding it onto the Wolfsburg star. He watches the ball drop out of the air and pings it into the roof of the net, easy as you like.

It was wonderful technique from Draxler but Slovakia's marking was non-existent there.

Goal! Germany 3-0 Slovakia (Julian Draxler, 62)

Oh that is good from Draxler. He brilliantly spins away from two Slovakia defenders and is unlucky not to win a free kick after appearing to be pulled back.

Hamsik instead lays this one off to Kucka who hammers a wild one over. Germany have come out for the second half without the intensity that saw them dominate the opening 45 and it's made the game a little harder to watch.

And here's another free kick for Slovakia as Skriniar goes down over the trailing leg of Draxler.

Hamisk bends one on goal that looks to take a nick of Hummels, but the referee awards Germany the goal kick.

Kucka picks up the ball and charges down the length of the field, cutting inside Kroos before he his felled by Hector who was racing to get back into position. Free kick for Slovakia from a decent position.

Not a bad start from Slovakia, here. Pekarik again comes down the right and pings a ball into Hamsik who is in space just inside the box. He's denied the room to shoot himself so instead spreads the ball to Kucka who hammers one on goal., but it is straight at Neuer.

Kimmich loses out in a duel with Hamisk and palms the ball out of the midfielder's path as he threatens to break away. Yellow card for the full-back.

And Slovakia get us back underway for the second half.

Germany are cruising into the last eight at the moment. They are dominating Slovakia and really should be three up with Mesut Ozil missing from the penalty spot.

A wonderful volley from Jerome Boateng and a neat finish from Mario Gomez after some magic from Julian Draxler have them firmly in control. Expect more in the second half.

Half-time: Germany 2-0 Slovakia

Draxler is just wonderful. He is the architect of Germany's second goal, drifting down the left before jinking inside Kucka with ease. He cuts the ball back across the near post where Gomez is well placed to lift the ball into the net with a very tidy finish. Easy.

Goal! Germany 2-0 Slovakia (Mario Gomez, 42)

What a save from Neuer! Out of nowhere, Pekerik breaks down the right with Hector nowhere to be found and floats a superb ball into Kucka, whose header on goal is a firm one. The Bayern Munich no. 1 springs across goal however and palms it over the bar.

Draxler is looking superb out there. Muller threads the ball through to him inside the box and he easily shifts past Pekarik, but Durica gets across to help and a deflection off him takes the ball over the bar.

Draxler and Ozil combine brilliantly before the latter finds Gomez in the box. His touch briefly stalls the flowing move, but he eventually manages to shift the ball out to Kimmich who pings a ball into the box. Muller dives low to reach it, but the referee stops play when he and Skrtel clash heads.

Hector, who has practically played as a left winger so far, is picked out of acres in space down the left and tries to pick out the other German full-back Kimmich who has burst into the box but Durica can clear.

I'm a big fan of this picture of Boateng's goal.

Germany aren't knocking on the door here, they are given it a right good kicking at the moment. Draxler brilliantly jinks down the right wing and cuts down the byline, trying to find a teammate in the six yard box but Skrtel just about gets a foot in to halt him.

Things are looking a bit ominous for Slovakia at the moment, Germany are peppering their goal with shots chasing that second. Ozil has another crack at the volley after a neat knock on from Draxler but his effort fizzes wide.

Slovakia have their goalkeeper to thank for still being in this contest. He denied Ozil from the penalty spot.

Young full-back Kimmich is left chasing shadows by a simple one two and it allows Weiss to slip inside the box, coming in from the left. His ball across goal can't find a teammate however and Neuer can come out and clean up.

Now Ozil sends a decent chance on the volley flying clean over the bar. Leave it to the defenders, lads.

Kroos now tries his luck with a volley from outside the area but he drives his into the turf and it bounces wide of the goal.

Here is the moment Germany took their lead through their centre-half.

Mesut Ozil curls one for the right hand corner but Kozacik leaps in the right direction and pushes it away! Great save.

PENALTY SAVED!

Germany have a penalty! Martin Skrtel plants both hands on Gomez's back as he leaps for a cross, sending the striker tumbling. It's a clear push and the Liverpool centre half is booked.

PENALTY - Germany

What a hit from Boateng! Kroos' corner is flicked away but only as far as the centre-half who runs onto the ball from 25 yards and hammers a low volley past Kozacik. It was a brilliantly controlled effort from the Bayern Munich centre-half and Germany look very much in the mood today.

Goal! Germany 1-0 Slovakia (Jerome Boateng, 8)

Draxler wins a free kick out on the right and it's perfectly delivered by Kroos onto the head of Khedira, but his effort is palmed over the bar by the Slovakia goalkeeper. Germany corner.

Hector now is picked out superbly by Ozil bursting down the left and plays the one-two with Draxler as he cuts into the box. Slovakia are backpeddling to get back into position but their defence holds strong.

Kroos elegantly sprays the ball out for the onrushing Joshua Kimmich by Gyomber does well to hold him up and win a goal kick for his side.

Germany have had all of the ball in the opening two minutes, patiently probing already in front of the Slovakia defence. Jerome Boateng's whose range of passing in this competition has been better than that of most midfielders, brilliantly finds Kroos over on the inside left but he overhits his cross in to the far post.

Here we go, Germany get us going. We know who four of our eight quarter-finalists, will the world champions join them?

Not long until kick off now, both teams on making their way out of the tunnel onto the pitch in Lille.

Germany players inspect the pitch in Lille ahead of kick-off which follows in just over 20 minutes.

The man responsible for hundreds of dismal 'Return of the Mak" puns during the group campaign Robert Mak is left out of the starting XI this afternoon. Tomas Hubocan and Viktor Pecovsky also drop out from the side that drew with England and in come Gyomber, Krosovsky and Skriniar,

Slovakia team to face: Kozacik, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Gyomber, Kucka, Hrosovsky, Skriniar, Hamsik, Weiss, Duris

Germany team to face Slovakia: Neuer; Kimmich, Boateng, Hummels, Hector; Khedira, Kroos; Müller, Özil, Draxler; Gomez.

This man leads the German attack this afternoon.

BREAKING: Jerome Boateng starts for Germany while Mario Gomez is also given the nod to start up front.

Team news: Slovakia

There are concerns over the fitness of defender Dusan Svento and midfielder Robert Mak ahead of kick-off.

Team news: Germany

Jerome Boateng has been flawless in this competition so far but suffered a slight muscular strain in the win over Northern Ireland. The Bayern Munich defender is expected to return today, however.

Will Joachim Low turn to Mario Gomez to lead his attack again? Mario Gotze's lack of an impact in the false nine role would suggest so far and, let's face it, there aren't any more options.

Yesterday's round of 16 games were all a bit rubbish, but we haven't been let down so far today. Republic of Ireland led favourites France after an opening penalty from Robbie Brady but two second half goals from Antoine Griezmann has turned the game on it's head. The Irish are also down to 10 men after Shane Duffy was sent off for taking down the Atletico Madrid man down when he was through to score his third. 15 minutes remain in that one, you can follow it here.

World champions Germany have a problem. Scoring goals. While they did net three in their three group games, the lack of a true number nine has left Joachim Low's side looking decidedly blunt. False nines are so 2011. Germany have been blessed with some of the game's most prolific goal scorers in international football but they are missing a presence up front in France this summer. While they have been impregnable at the back and with Toni Kroos conducting flawlessly in midfield, a lack of a true focal point remains an issue.

It will be tested again tonight by Slovakia who showed against England they can frustrate with the best of them. Thei talisman in Marek Hamsik showed against Russia he can provide the moments of individual brilliance, but against Roy Hodgson's side he was also able to dig in and help his side cling to that valuable point that saw them climb into the last 16.

Kick-off is in just under an hour and a half, we will have all your team news as it reaches us.