GDANSK, Poland (AP) — A trio of second-half goals put Germany into the European Championship semi-finals for a record seventh time yesterday after a 4-2 win over Greece.

Philipp Lahm gave Germany the lead in the 39th minute before Georgios Samaras equalised for Greece in the 55th. But Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus all scored to pull Germany clear.

“We made some silly mistakes but at the end we scored four goals,” Lahm said. “We had many chances in the first 10-15 minutes.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel made the trip for the match and stood to cheer every time her team scored.

The match was played amid the political backdrop between the countries. Germany has been a major contributor to economic bailouts for Greece and was instrumental in demanding unpopular spending cuts.

Germany dominated nearly the entire match at the Arena Gdansk, but the Greek defence held strong for much of the first half. Lahm finally put his team in front by controlling the ball with his chest and dribbling toward the middle before sending a long-distance shot into the corner off the hand of Greece goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis.

The Greeks looked better at the start of the second half, and even equalised when Samaras knocked the ball past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after a perfect cross from Dimitris Salpigidis.

“When we conceded a second goal we had to open up and that cost us,” Salpigidis said. “I hope the Greeks got some encouragement from watching us fighting.”

But after that goal, it was back to being all Germany.

Khedira volleyed in a cross from Jerome Boateng in the 61st minute, and Klose headed in a free kick from Mesut Oezil in the 68th as Sifakis was late to punch the ball away. Reus made it 4-1 in the 74th, volleying a shot in off the underside of the crossbar after Sifakis had saved from Klose.

Salpigidis added a consolation penalty for Greece in the 89th after Boateng handled.

Germany coach Joachim Loew dropped his three main forwards for the match, including leading striker Mario Gomez, but their replacements did just fine.

Klose, who has Polish heritage, constantly troubled the Greek defence and linked up well with Oezil and Andre Schuerrle.

Greece had one major change in their line-up, but it was because of suspension. Captain Giorgos Karagounis sat out the match after picking up a yellow card in the 1-0 win over Russia for diving.

Teams:

Germany — Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber, Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marco Reus (Mario Goetze, 80), Mesut Oezil, Andre Schuerrle (Thomas Mueller, 67), Miroslav Klose (Mario Gomez, 80).

Greece — Michalis Sifakis, Yiannis Maniatis, Giorgos Tzavelas (Giorgos Fotakis, 46), Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Grigoris Makos (Nikos Lymberopoulos, 72), Georgios Samaras, Dimitris Salpigidis, Vassilis Torosidis, Sotiris Ninis (Fanis Gekas, 46), Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Costas Katsouranis.