Kevin Kuranyi sank two headers in the 42nd and 62nd minutes before a goal from Milan Baros shifted the momentum in the 76th.

It took the visitors just 58 seconds to create the first scoring opportunity.

A cross from the left landed at the feet of Bastian Schweinsteiger, who immediately pulled the trigger from a sharp angle on the left.

Petr Cech, however, was quick to react and diverted the shot round the right post.

Just two minutes later, Jan Polak darted down the left and shook off Philipp Lahm to play in Baros, whose 10-yard shot was deflected behind by the lunging Michael Ballack.

The tempo remained high, with Bernd Schneider nodding a cross from Marcell Jansen past the left post before Ballack wasted a good opportunity and Schweinsteiger tested Cech with another shot.

Cech then denied the Bayern Munich youngster for a third time in the first 10 minutes with a superb reflex save.

The Chelsea goalkeeper remained busy as Podolski fired in a 25-yarder from the left.

Germany, now in complete control, kept pressing and it was shortly before the break that their dominance told.

A Frings corner from the left found Kuranyi and he rose highest to acrobatically nod the ball past a puzzled Cech, who reacted too late to prevent the danger.

Now on the front foot, Germany hit the crossbar through Podolski who unleashed a powerful shot from the right channel after Kuranyi set him up.

The Czechs improved after the break, with Jan Koller having an effort blocked and Baros dangerously heading over a right-wing cross from Tomas Ujfalusi.

After Jens Lehmann caught a promising long-distance effort from Arsenal team-mate Tomas Rosicky, Baros wasted a golden opportunity to level the scores.

Wide on the left, Marek Jankulovski picked out Baros with his cross, only for the header to whistle inches past the right post.

Germany made the Czechs pay in the 62nd minute with a fantastic counter-attack when the rampaging Lahm's pinpoint centre from the left was nodded home by Kuranyi to double the lead.

A header from Podolski and a right-footed drive from Kuranyi almost resulted in further damage for the Czechs, who were also lucky that Jankulovski´s challenge on Kuranyi did not result in a penalty.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, Polak's 25-yarder bounced over the line and past Lehmann after it had taken a deadly deflection off Baros' foot.

With momentum on their side, the Czechs upped the pressure in the last 10 minutes, but promising shots from Baros and Rosicky came to nought as Germany prevailed to move three points clear at the top of the pool.