André Schürrle scored twice as Germany extended their perfect start in World Cup qualifying Group C to five games with a 4-1 win over Azerbaijan in Baku.

Preferred by the coach, Joachim Löw, to Mesut Özil in the starting line-up, Schürrle hit his side’s first and last goals in the 19th and 81st minutes after Dima Nazarov had briefly brought the hosts back level.

Thomas Müller and Mario Gómez also scored at the end of the first half, all but securing Germany’s passage to the finals in Russia next year.

The Azeris started well and threatened to make it a difficult night for the visitors. But Germany took the lead when Schürrle squeezed through a static home defence to convert Jonas Hector’s left-wing cross.

Azerbaijan then hit back on the half-hour with a superb equaliser. Afran Ismayilov fired a fine ball across the edge of the box and Nazarov, who plays for Bundesliga 2 side Erzebirge Aue, slotted home.

But the world champions took only five minutes to regain the lead when a mistake by Ismayilov let in Schürrle to find Müller, who rounded the goalkeeper, Kamran Agayev, to score.

Löw’s team finally recovered some breathing space when they added their third goal on the stroke of half-time, Gómez planting a firm header past Ayayev from Joshua Kimmich’s right-wing cross.

Increasingly Löw’s side were resorting to cruise control and the fourth German goal arrived 10 minutes from time when Hector picked out Schürrle, who drove fiercely into the roof of the net.

Elsewhere in Group C Czech Republic won 6-0 in San Marino to move into third place.

Poland won 2-1 in Montenegro with goals from Robert Lewandowski and Lukasz Piszczek to move six points clear at the top of Group E.

Lewandowski curled in a superb 40th-minute free-kick and, although Stefan Mugosa equalised with a firm header just past the hour, Piszczek got the winner with a fine lob in the 82nd minute after Poland missed a barrage of chances against their injury-hit opponents.

The visitors had come close three times in the opening half before Lewandowski scored his eighth goal of the qualifying campaign, leaving the goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic rooted to his line with a delightful strike from 25 metres.

Lewandowski and Piszczek missed a pair of easy chances inside a minute on the hour and Poland were swiftly punished as Mugosa scored his first international goal with a thumping header after Damir Kojasevic’s teasing cross from the right.

Poland pressed for a winner and the right-back Piszczek made amends for his earlier miss as he brilliantly side-footed the ball over Bozovic from inside the penalty area to silence a vociferous home crowd.

Romania extended their poor run of results under their German coach Christoph Daum when they scrambled a 0-0 draw with Denmark in a Group E.

The stalemate left Romania fourth in the standings with six points from five matches, a point behind Montenegro and Denmark and seven adrift of Poland who beat the Montenegrins 2-1 away.

The result means Romania, still searching for their first home win in the qualifying campaign, have failed to score in four consecutive games for the first time since 1931.

The hosts were outclassed by Denmark, who missed the chance to move up to second place after wasting several opportunities with Christian Eriksen coming closest to breaking the deadlock

Romania visit Poland in their next group game on June 10 while Denmark travel to Kazakhstan.

Slovakia are now second in Group F, England and Scotland’s group, after a 3-1 win away to Malta.