Defender Philipp
Lahm's late strike put three-times European champions Germany in
Sunday's Euro 2008 final and sealed a 3-2 win to knock out
injury-ravaged Turkey on Wednesday night.
Lahm's 90th minute goal made sure Vienna will be Germany's final
destination after Turkey's Semih Senturk had forced an equaliser
just four minutes from time to make it 2-2 to set up another
dramatic finish.
Germany striker Miroslav Klose had nudged his side into the lead
on 79 minutes after Bastian Schweinsteiger's first-half goal had
cancelled out Ugur Boral's early strike as Turkey had taken a shock
lead.
This was Germany's first win over Turkey since May 1992 and
Fatih Terim's battered side used their never-say-die spirit forced
the Germans to work hard.
Having reached Basel's St Jakob-Park semi-final by forging a
reputation as the tournament's come-back kings with last-gasp wins
over Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia, Turkey threatened
Germany with the same treatment.
EURO 2008: Germany - Turkey, Basel, June 25, 2008
Turkey were without the banned quartet of keeper Volkan Demirel,
Middlesbrough's Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan who scored their last gasp
winner against the Swiss, and Emre Asik.And captain Nihat Kahveci, whose pair of late goals sank the
Czech Republic, was missing with a thigh injury.
In contrast, Germany had all 23-men fit and ready to go having
responded to their shock 2-1 defeat by Croatia in the group stages
by knocking-out much-fancied Portugal with an impressive 3-2 defeat
here last Thursday.
Immediate reply by Bastian Schweinsteiger
Germany coach Joachim Loew played the same line-up and 4-5-1
formation he had used against Portugal for the semi-final, but it
was the Turks who dominated the first-half chances with Kazim Kazim
driving a shot against the bar on 14 minutes.
And Turkey took a deserved lead when Kazim again hit the
cross-bar before Fenerbahce's Ugur Boral fired at Jens Lehmann who
watched helplessly as the ball trickled over the line on 22 minutes.
Germany's reply was immediate as attacking midfielder Lukas
Podolski slid in a cross which Portugal's tormentor Bastian
Schweinsteiger flicked into the net on 26 minutes for his second
goal in two games.
Lehmann was in action again as he punched clear Hamit Altintop's
free-kick just after the half-hour mark one of nine first-half
chances Turkey created compared to Germany's one.
At the break Simon Rolfes made way for Torsten Frings in
Germany's midfield and match-winner Lahm was unlucky not to have
won a penalty when he was brought down on the edge of the area by
Sabri Sarioglu on 52 minutes.
In a much-tighter second half, Turkey kept the pressure on with
Altintop bossing the midfield against his Bayern Munich colleagues
in Germany's ranks.
But the break through came in the 79th minute when Bayern
striker Klose rose above three Turkish defenders and goalkeeper
Recber Rustu to score his second goal in two games.
Turkey pulled a late goal out of the bag for the fourth time in
succession when Semih slipped marker Per Mertesacker to stab home
Sabri Sarioglu's cross on 86 minutes to equalise.
But Lahm put German fans in seventh heaven with his 90th minute
strike to send his side to Vienna.
[er]
[bild1]
Defender Philipp
Lahm's late strike put three-times European champions Germany in
Sunday's Euro 2008 final and sealed a 3-2 win to knock out
injury-ravaged Turkey on Wednesday night.
Lahm's 90th minute goal made sure Vienna will be Germany's final
destination after Turkey's Semih Senturk had forced an equaliser
just four minutes from time to make it 2-2 to set up another
dramatic finish.
Germany striker Miroslav Klose had nudged his side into the lead
on 79 minutes after Bastian Schweinsteiger's first-half goal had
cancelled out Ugur Boral's early strike as Turkey had taken a shock
lead.
This was Germany's first win over Turkey since May 1992 and
Fatih Terim's battered side used their never-say-die spirit forced
the Germans to work hard.
Having reached Basel's St Jakob-Park semi-final by forging a
reputation as the tournament's come-back kings with last-gasp wins
over Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia, Turkey threatened
Germany with the same treatment.
EURO 2008: Germany - Turkey, Basel, June 25, 2008
Turkey were without the banned quartet of keeper Volkan Demirel,
Middlesbrough's Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan who scored their last gasp
winner against the Swiss, and Emre Asik.And captain Nihat Kahveci, whose pair of late goals sank the
Czech Republic, was missing with a thigh injury.
In contrast, Germany had all 23-men fit and ready to go having
responded to their shock 2-1 defeat by Croatia in the group stages
by knocking-out much-fancied Portugal with an impressive 3-2 defeat
here last Thursday.
Immediate reply by Bastian Schweinsteiger
Germany coach Joachim Loew played the same line-up and 4-5-1
formation he had used against Portugal for the semi-final, but it
was the Turks who dominated the first-half chances with Kazim Kazim
driving a shot against the bar on 14 minutes.
And Turkey took a deserved lead when Kazim again hit the
cross-bar before Fenerbahce's Ugur Boral fired at Jens Lehmann who
watched helplessly as the ball trickled over the line on 22 minutes.
Germany's reply was immediate as attacking midfielder Lukas
Podolski slid in a cross which Portugal's tormentor Bastian
Schweinsteiger flicked into the net on 26 minutes for his second
goal in two games.
Lehmann was in action again as he punched clear Hamit Altintop's
free-kick just after the half-hour mark one of nine first-half
chances Turkey created compared to Germany's one.
[bild2]
At the break Simon Rolfes made way for Torsten Frings in
Germany's midfield and match-winner Lahm was unlucky not to have
won a penalty when he was brought down on the edge of the area by
Sabri Sarioglu on 52 minutes.
In a much-tighter second half, Turkey kept the pressure on with
Altintop bossing the midfield against his Bayern Munich colleagues
in Germany's ranks.
But the break through came in the 79th minute when Bayern
striker Klose rose above three Turkish defenders and goalkeeper
Recber Rustu to score his second goal in two games.
Turkey pulled a late goal out of the bag for the fourth time in
succession when Semih slipped marker Per Mertesacker to stab home
Sabri Sarioglu's cross on 86 minutes to equalise.
But Lahm put German fans in seventh heaven with his 90th minute
strike to send his side to Vienna.