One of the most dramatic finales in Euro history saw Turkey progress with captain Nihat’s two goals in the last three minutes to sink the Czechs 3-2! They’ll face Group B winners Croatia in Vienna next Friday.

Turkish Coach Fatih Terim had enough confidence to name his team 24 hours before the game and made several changes, switching to a more attack-minded 4-3-1-2. After starting the last two games with striker Nihat Kahveci playing solo up front, with a midfield place freed by the injured Karadeniz, he included the scorer of the winning goal against the Swiss, Semih Senturk. Midfielder Mehmet Topal also kept his place instead of Tumer Metin, while Emre Gungor took over from Emre Asik. On the other hand, Czech Republic Coach Karel Bruckner opted for just one change to the team that lost 3-1 to Portugal and replaced Milan Baros with Jan Koller.

The match kicked off in a great atmosphere as an early effort came in from the Czechs with Reading’s Marek Matejovsky flashing the ball over the bar. The Czechs started as they meant go on, searching for Jan Koller as Marek Jankulovski’s corner sailed over his and everyone’s else’s head from their first corner.

A purposeful start from the Czechs saw them forcing the Turks back for the first five minutes as Jaroslav Plasil wasted a good opening by firing high. The first yellow card came in the fifth minute for Mehmet Topal as Anderlecht full back Jan Polak, who scored a goal in the qualifiers against San Marino, went down as if he was shot. Ten minutes in and Koller tried to get his head on a Jankulovski free kick in from the left.

With five strung across the Czech midfield the Turks found it hard to reach their opponent’s back four. Brazilian born Mehmet Aurelio became the second Turk to go into the book for a shove on Koller and referee Fröjdfeldt warned Emre Gungor for his over zealous tackling on Koller.

Terim’s team were constantly fouling Koller as they seemed nervous of the big striker as he won every challenge in the air. The Turks tried to hit back as on a breakaway but Tuncay Sanli long range volley did not worry to Petr Cech. Then back up the other end and Matejovsky, who along with Jankulovski had been the Czech’s hardest worker, forced Volkan to make a save low down with a shot from 25 yards.

On 34 minutes Turkish goalkeeper Volkan failed to stop a superb headed goal from Koller. The ball sailed past his right hand, after an exquisite pass from Juve wing-back Zdenek Grygera, following a great run down the right flank.

After the restart Jankulovski’s free kick again found Koller but he failed to keep the ball down after he won another of his personal battles with Servet. The Czechs were frustrating every attack by the Turks with their midfield immediately pressing the red shirts every time the reached the halfway line. It was not pretty but very effective.

Bruckner’s side finished the half strongest but were helped by a poor Turkish performance. With only two midfielders they couldn’t get a grip on the game and each attack broke down before it could develop into anything dangerous.

At the start of the second half Turkish Coach Terim decided to change things round and brought on Galatasaray midfielder Sabri Sarioglu for Senturk and Tuncay moved into the centre.

Two minutes in and Nihat took a free kick but the ball hung in the air and Cech held it easily. Nihat was again in the action as he tried an acrobatic volley with the outside of his right foot but it sailed over the bar. The Villarreal striker was the most persistent performer by a long chalk.

On 52 minutes Topal was replaced by winger Colin Kazim-Richards, the former Sheffield United midfielder now at Fenerbache. The rain continued to blast down in the stadium as play stopped for two minutes while two Turks went down injured. It looked bad for Gungor who was stretchered off.

With Turkish Coach Terim going wild on the sidelines trying to get a sub on, a ball crossed in from Sionko on the right was too much for Volkan and Jaroslav Plasil met it at the far post to double the Czechs advantage.

Eventually Emre Asik came on for Gungor as seconds before Arda Turan was shown the yellow card. The match started to run away from Turkey as the Czechs sat back and started to hit the Turks on the break. Asik was shown a yellow card after another terrible foul on Koller.

20 minutes from the end Polak hit the right post with a right footed blast after a cross from Sionko. The Czechs started to live dangerously and with 15 minutes to go the Turks went up the field and pulled one back after Turan’s right footed shot slipped past Cech, after Hamit Altintop’s perfect cross.

The Turks forced their sixth corner as the Czechs pulled all their players back but it was cleared up field. The Turks forced the ball back up and should have been level but a weak effort from Tuncay went past the post. On 83 minutes the dynamic Sionko went off to be replaced by midfielder Stanislav Vlcek.

With three minutes to go Cech made a wrong decision and the Turks equalised from Nihat’s pass into the net form a few yards out, following a centre from Altintop. The red shirts deserved it and over the last 20 minutes had showed great character and determination to get their just rewards.

A minute later with penalties looking more and more likely, what drama! Nihat again scored. What a turnaround. One of the most remarkable finishes to a game you will ever see, the captain sprung the offside trap to crash a brilliant right-footer over Cech and in off under the bar from 20 yards out.

With just a few minutes to go and now 3-2 to take the drama level even higher Turkey ‘keeper Volkan was sent off for a reaction shove on Koller and Tuncay took over in goal, but he was never tested as Turkey went through. An astonishing end to a dramatic second half.
Turkey: Volkan; Balta, Servet, Emre Gungor (Emre Asik 63), Altintop; Tuncay, Arda, Aurelio, Topal (Kazim-Richards 57); Semih Senturk (Sabri 46), Nihat

Czech Republic: Cech; Grygera, Rozehnal, Ujfalusi, Jankulovski; Sionko (Vlcek 84), Matejovsky (Jarolim 39), Galasek, Jarolim, Plasil (Kadlec 80); Koller

Ref: Fröjdfeldt (Swe)

Sent off: Volkan 91 (T)

Ref From channel4.com