Germany will bid to extend a three-game winning run under new coach Hansi Flick against Romania and North Macedonia in World Cup qualifiers to show they are on the way back to being world class, national team director Oliver Bierhoff said on Wednesday.

The Germans, who suffered a first-round exit at the 2018 World Cup and were eliminated in the last 16 at this year’s Euros, are in the driving seat in Group J on 15 points from six games, with Armenia second on 11 and Romania third with 10.

Germany, with a string of young players in the squad, have won all three matches under Flick since he replaced Joachim Loew, who had 15 years at the helm of the four-time world champions.

Germany have scored 12 goals and conceded none in those three matches and Bierhoff wants to seal qualification for next year’s World Cup in Qatar as soon as possible.

“We want to return to world class and for that to happen every result counts,” Bierhoff told a news conference.

“We want to show the same intensity. We want to seal qualification as soon as possible, maybe even during these two matches.

“That is for me the most important. To continue this positive trend that started in September,” he said.

Germany host Romania in Hamburg on Friday before travelling to face North Macedonia, who are fourth with nine points, on Monday.

“The situation in the team is very good,” Bierhoff added.

Maldini impact

England defender Fikayo Tomori says playing under the gaze of Italian great Paolo Maldini at AC Milan has helped him produce the form to earn a recall to Gareth Southgate’s squad.

The former Chelsea defender, who joined the Serie A club in June after an impressive loan spell, is earning rave reviews at the San Siro and he now has the chance to resume his England career after earning one cap in 2019.

“When he was speaking to me, I was like ‘woah, it’s Paolo Maldini’,” the Canada-born 23-year-old told a news conference on Wednesday ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier in Andorra on Saturday.

“When I was midway through my loan, in April, we had a chat and he was speaking about what I need to improve. He is really engaged and when it’s a legend like that, when he says something you’re going to listen. He’s been a really big help.”