Germany 2-2 Australia: Lukas Podolski and Andre Schurrle combine from the bench for late equaliser to save World Cup champions from another home defeat by the Germany-2-2-Australia-Lukas-Podolski-Andre-Schurrle-combine-bench-late-equaliser.

A late Lukas Podolski strike from an Andre Schurrle cross saved Germany from back-to-back home defeats by Australia at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern.

Podolski rescued the World Cup champions nine minutes from time with his 48th goal for his country as he combined with his fellow substitute and former Premier League outcast.

The Socceroos' last visit to Germany in 2011 ended in a 2-1 shock loss for the hosts in Monchengladbach and it looked to be going that way again for much of the second half when captain Mile Jedinak gave his side the lead with a sensational curling free-kick. 

Marco Reus gave Germany the lead in the 17th minute when he met the Sami Khedira cross zipped across the face of goal. James Troisi hit back for the recently crowned Asian Cup champions with a header from Nathan Burns' pinpoint cross. 

Then, five minutes into the second half, Crystal Palace stalwart and Socceroos captain nailed a perfect curling free-kick that left German keeper Ron-Robert Zieler flailing and in the back of his own net with the ball.

History was on the visitors' side at this stadium. It was here that Australia made history with their first goal and first win in a World Cup when they beat Japan 3-1 in 2006.  

Their star striker Tim Cahill, who scored a double that night, was out injured here after being instrumental in delivering Australia's first major trophy win after beating South Korea in extra-time in January. 

Before kick-off, Real Madrid's Toni Kroos was given the 2014 Germany Player of the Year award but he wasn't required off the bench where at full time he had some star-studded company among the unused subs in Jerome Boateng, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels.