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  • Kick-off: 19:45
  • Venue: St. Jakob Park, Basel
  • Attendance: 40000
  • Referee: Busacca, M

Live Commentary

90mins

Full-Time: GERMANY 3-2 TURKEY.

90mins

It's a poor effort by Tumer, who had only just come on. His effort flies way over the bar.

90mins

Turkey win a free-kick on the edge of the area. This will be the last kick of the match.

90mins

The Germans also make a late change as Marcell Jansen replaces Klose.

90mins

Turkey bring Metin Tumer for the injured Kazim-Richards.

90mins

GERMANY 3-2 TURKEY. LAHM beats Kazim-Richards, plays a neat one-two and then blasts a shot past Rustu. Incredible.

88mins

Turkey thoroughly deserve their equaliser. It's looking like extra-time now.

86mins

GERMANY 2-2 TURKEY. Amazing stuff as Sabri crosses for SEMIH at the near post whose flick beats Lehmann and rolls into the net.

85mins

Karadeniz whips in a cross but no-one can get on the end of it.

84mins

Turkey bring on Gokdeniz Karadeniz for Ugur.

84mins

Podolski does well again down the left, but this time Rustu cuts out his cross.

83mins

Football can be a cruel game. Turkey played poorly for most of the games against Czech Republic and Croatia yet won both matches. Tonight they've dominated the Germans but now seem certain to lose.

82mins

Turkey bring on Mevlut Erdinc for Akman.

81mins

How poor have Germany been, and yet they're winning again.

79mins

GERMANY 2-1 TURKEY. A simple goal for the Germans. Lahm crosses and Rustu's error allows KLOSE to head the ball into the net.

77mins

At last Germany enjoy a spell of possession but they can't find a way through the Turkey defence.

76mins

Germany have been outplayed from virtually the first whistle - but they're still level.

74mins

Hitzlsperger is off target with another long-range effort.

72mins

Germany can't seem to create anything although Turkey, for all their possession, have not really looked like scoring since the interval.

70mins

The corner comes to nothing, but it's Germany who are hanging on at the moment. They simply can't get the ball as the Turks play it about purposefully.

69mins

Ugur wins another Turkey corner as Germany continue to stutter.

68mins

Sabri gets past Lahm far too easily but his pull-back from the byline evades everyone.

67mins

Germany are playing slightly better in the second half than in the first, but not by much.

65mins

Better by the Germans until Arne Friedrich's intended cross is blocked.

63mins

At the moment it's Turkey that seem the more likely winners as they keep Germany penned back in their own half.

62mins

Klose's cross is cut out by Rustu. The Germany striker has had another quiet match though.

61mins

It's still very open with Turkey continuing to give as good as they're getting.

59mins

Altintop's 40-yard free-kick sails high over the crossbar.

58mins

Michael Ballack, invisible so far, wins a free-kick 25 yards out but his weak shot barely reaches the wall.

57mins

Christoph Metzelder tries to get Semih sent off but the referee keeps his red card in his pocket.

55mins

Hitzlsperger blasts a shot from the edge of the area over the bar after being set up up by Podolski.

53mins

Semih is the first man to be booked for a late challenge on Frings.

53mins

It looked a stonewall spot-kick but the man who matters thought it wasn't so Turkey survive.

52mins

Lahm is upended in the area by Sabri but the referee, amazingly, is unimpressed and waves play on. No Penalty.

51mins

The Germans are still sloppy with their passing as Per Mertesacker's terrible ball allows Turkey to launch another attack.

49mins

Altintop is hauled down by Lahm but somehow the German defender escapes a yellow card.

47mins

Podolski uses his pace to sprint down the left flank but then puts his cross out of play. Better by Germany in the opening stages of the second period though.

46mins

Low has made a change at the break with the injured Rolfes replaced by Frings.

46mins

Germany get the second half underway.

45mins

Half-Time: GERMANY 1-1 TURKEY.

44mins

Joachim Low has his work cut out at half-time. Surely he must tighten things up as Turkey are benefiting from the openness of the match.

42mins

It's almost like a five-a-side game as play swings from one end to the other with no tackles and seemingly no marking. It ends with Sabri, in acres of space, lashing a shot over Lehmann's goal.

41mins

Play is stopped after a clash of heads between Ayhan Akman and Simon Rolfes.

39mins

Lehmann is forced to make another smart stop, this time from the outstanding Ugur's fierce free-kick.

37mins

Surely Germany can't be as bad as this in the second half.

35mins

Suddenly Podolski is clean through as he beats the offside trap but the Bayern Munich man decides to go for goal when a pass to Miroslav Klose would surely have been the better option. He fires over the bar to his colleague's displeasure.

33mins

Germany's defence is all at sea as Ugur strolls past a couple of tackles but is then unable to get any power on his shot and Lehmann makes an easy stop.

32mins

Altintop's free-kick is over-hit but almost catches Lehmann out. The veteran keeper is forced to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.

31mins

The Germans are starting to look menacing though as they win a couple of corners. It's been a far better game than was widely expected so far though.

30mins

It's a very open game as Lehmann is forced to save Semih's looping header. The Turkey man was completely unmarked though.

28mins

It was a well-worked goal, but it was also Germany's first worthwhile opening of the match. Will Turkey rue not making more of their early dominance?

26mins

GERMANY 1-1 TURKEY. Would you believe it, Germany are level. Podolski whips in a cross and BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER flicks a shot home.

26mins

Either Germany are too over-confident or the Turks have baffled them with their tactics.

24mins

Terrible play by Germany again. They're fortunate to be only one goal behind.

22mins

GERMANY 0-1 TURKEY. Kazim-Richards' looping shot hits the bar but this time UGUR is on hand to turn a mis-hit shot through Lehmann's legs and over the line, just.

20mins

A terrible attempted throughball by Lukas Podolski sums up Germany's play in the opening stages - woeful, absolutely woeful.

18mins

Turkey survive a goalmouth scramble after Lahm's excellent cross has caused consternation in their defence.

17mins

Recber Rustu is able to gather Hitzlsperger's over-hit free-kick easily.

16mins

Since the first five minutes, Germany have been unable to string more than two passes together.

15mins

Turkey should be ahead - Germany are all over the place.

14mins

More sloppy defending allows Kazim-Richards to last a shot against the bar with Lehmann beaten.

12mins

Boral Ugur launches another rapid attack but his cross is cut out by the beleaguered German defence.

10mins

The Germans have started very poorly, with Turkey's good opening keeping them on the back foot.

8mins

Philipp Lahm's error gives Hamit Altintop another chance but Lehmann is alive to the danger and saves well. The outsiders have started well though.

7mins

Kazim-Richards tries with luck from long range but his ambitious effort goes straight in to Jens Lehmann's midriff.

6mins

Turkey break quickly and Christoph Metzelder is forced to hoof the ball away from danger with Colin Kazim-Richards lurking.

5mins

Germany are strolling around playing the ball about between themselves with Turkey happy to sit back and let them do it.

3mins

Mind you Greece won the whole thing four years ago and they were far from brilliant, so you never know.

2mins

Despite all the late excitement, it must be remembered that Turkey aren't really that good. Germany aren't that much better but should still be easy winners.

1mins

Germany get the match underway.

0mins

Two whole days without any football has whetted the appetite again, but a straightforward victory for the Germans appears to be on the cards tonight.

0mins

Germany are unchanged from their quarter-final victory against Portugal with Thomas Hitzlsberger keeping his place in the starting line-up ahead of Torsten Frings.

0mins

However, Turkey have paid for their success, with four players suspended and Nihat Kahveci injured, forcing Fatih Terim to play Semih Senturk in attack.

0mins

The Turks are of course the last-gasp heroes of this tournament having come back from the dead to beat Switzerland, Czech Republic and Croatia.

0mins

The first semi-final of Euro 2008 takes place in Basel with outsiders Turkey taking on favourites Germany.

Match Report

Germany rode their luck before beating a weakened Turkey side 3-2 in an action-packed semi-final in Basel.

Joachim Low's side produced a disjointed performance but won through to Sunday's Final thanks to Philipp Lahm's stoppage-time goal.

But the Turks, who have been the last-gasp heroes of this tournament having come back from the dead to beat Switzerland, Czech Republic and Croatia, were the better side virtually from the first whistle and were desperately unfortunate to lose the game.

Turkey were without four suspended players while Nihat Kahveci was injured. Germany were unchanged from the side that beat Portugal 3-2 in last week's quarter-final victory with Thomas Hitzlsberger keeping his place in the starting line-up ahead of Torsten Frings.

The Germans started the match very poorly and in the 14th minute sloppy defending allowed Colin Kazim-Richards to last a shot against the bar with Jens Lehmann beaten.

Turkey deservedly took the lead midway through the first half. Kazim-Richards' looping shot hit the bar but Boral Ugur was on hand to turn a mis-hit shot through Lehmann's legs and over the line.

However, against the run of play, Germany were level in the 26th minute when Lukas Podolski whipped in a cross and Bastian Schweinsteiger flicked a shot home.

On the half-hour in an incredibly open game, Lehmann was forced to save the unmarked Senturk Semih's looping header.

The Turks continued to dominate and Hamit Altintop's over-hit free-kick almost caught Lehmann out, the veteran keeper being forced to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.

When Germany responded Podolski found himself clean through as he beat the offside trap, but the Bayern Munich man fired over the bar.

As play swung from one end to the other Sarioglu Sabri, in acres of space, lashed a shot over Lehmann's goal.

The second half continued in a similar vein with Turkey dominating possession and Germany struggling to string two passes together.

In the 52nd minute Germany should have had a penalty when Lahm was upended in the area by Sabri but the referee, amazingly, waved play on.

The match seemed to be heading for extra-time but, with 11 minutes left, Germany took the lead when Lahm's cross was missed by Recber Rustu and Miroslav Klose had the simple task of heading the ball into the empty net.

Amazingly Turkey hit back and equalised in the 86th minute when Sabri beat Lahm and crossed for Semih at the near post to flick a shot past Lehmann.

There was more drama to come though as, with the match moving into stoppage time, Lahm beat Kazim-Richards, played a neat one-two and then blasted a shot past Rustu.

It was an incredible end to an amazing match but this time there was to be no happy outcome for the battling Turks.

Germany

Turkey

Corners

28

Fouls

1315

Goal attempts

719

Shots off target

46

Offsides

01

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