Germany face Australia in Champions Trophy final

Defending champions Australia will face Germany in the title clash of the Champions Trophy hockey championship in Melbourne on Sunday after Germany advanced to the final despite losing 3-4 to The Netherlands on Saturday.

The Netherlands, needed to beat Germany by a four-goal margin to reach the final.

Nine-time winners Australia will play their 20th Champions Trophy final, while Germany will be eyeing their seventh title.

Australia were back to their dazzling best, crushing Spain 10-3 to seal their place in the tournament final. Australia have now reached a third consecutive Champions Trophy final and created a new tournament record for most goals in a match, eclipsing their 7-5 win over The Netherlands in 1981.

Spain held Australia to 2-2 at halftime but the Kookaburras showed their class and pumped in seven goals in the last 19 minutes.

Australia went into the lead when Luke Doerner converted a penalty corner that was awarded following a bad challenge on Aussie skipper Jamie Dwyer.

Spain didn't give up and found the equalizer through David Alegre's deflection from a penalty corner.

Hereafter, it was all Australia with, Glenn Turner (2), Fergus Kavanagh (2), Dwyer (1) and Eddie Ockenden (1) contributing to tourture the hapless Spaniards and settle the issue.

Later in the day, the Dutch could not improve their goal difference sufficiently enough to force their way into the tournament final.

They took the lead in the fourth minute after Taeke Taekema converted a penalty stroke.

But the Germans fought back through two quick goals by Matthias Witthaus and Florian Fuchs before Rob Reckers crossed home just before halftime.

Teun de Nooijer and Reckers gave the Dutch faint hope of an unlikely outcome with goals to lead 4-2 before Fuchs scored his second goal of the match.

The Netherlands will now play for the bronze medal against South Korea, who lost 2-4 to England. England will go into a 5th-6th place play-off against Spain on Sunday.