BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) - 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.
"It is an immense happiness that I am feeling," said 48-year-old Loew.
"That was a battle in which we have expended a lot of energy.
"We weren't very good in the first-half and in the second we weren't that good either, but we gritted our teeth and we wanted the victory.
"The Turks played really well, they chased after the ball a lot and maybe they ran after it very well and we had heavy legs and the heat didn't do us any favours."
For Terim it was a case of so near but so far.
"I am very sad to have got so close to the final and not made it," said the 54-year-old, who guided Galatasaray to the UEFA Cup trophy ahead of Arsenal in 2003.
"The players would have deserved it. Unfortunately we have a habit of conceding too many goals too easily. However, the team has honoured the Turkish people."
Lahm was extremely relieved that he had made up for a glaring error that had led to the Turkish second goal.
"It is one of the most beautiful moments of my career," said the 24-year-old Bayern Munich star.
"We didn't play well. Turkey believed in themselves and made life difficult for us. We fought for the goal till the end. I should not have committed the error that led to the second goal. That is why I am happy to have helped the team to win the match."
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.
Terim had said he wanted to put his team on the map and their battling spirit has reminded the footballing world again what Turkey can do having reached the 2002 World Cup semi-final.
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.
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.
"It was a very exciting match," enthused watching German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has followed the team's progress closely.
Comment 1 - 9 of 9
luckily germany players didnt produce many crosses or the turks will lose more than 3-2 scoreline
as a half-german/half-portuguese i'm happy that germany could reach the final yet once more! nevertheless, and to be quiet honest, turkey played tonight the best football so it doesn´t give me the same pleasure it would have given if we'd outplayed them! I have to compliment turkey not only for the great game provided, but also for the resillience they demonstrated the whole tournament! terim is also a huge coach! he really seems to have that so called 'german winning mentality'.. So it's only fair to congratulate the turkish side with the promise that their football is growing (as they already demonstrated in 2002). As for germany i hope they show again another face in the final like they did against poland and portugal.. But it is clear that the team lacks in many aspects. The defence metzelder/mertesacker is simply terrible! Lahm - SO SMALL AND YET SO BIG!!! (if germany wins the euro he could well turn out to be the best player!) Ballack seems to alternate between good and bad displays.. podolski and schweinsteiger are simply the best! good and regular performances! they are the engine of this not so well tuned machine and both of them should play next season in the premiership or spain/italy! they should make the move it would help the german team too! klose hasn´t been much in focus either but i'm guessing it has to do with the system that simply seems to get stucked somewhere in the centrefield sometimes. If i were Low I'd change the tactics in the final trying to surprise the opponent with speed even if it is risky - they have to show some good football. the potential is there and we'll definitely see a stronger germany in the world cup 2010!
as a half-german/half-portuguese i'm happy that germany could reach the final yet once more! nevertheless, and to be quiet honest, turkey played tonight the best football so it doesn´t give me the same pleasure it would have given if we'd outplayed them! I have to compliment turkey not only for the great game provided, but also for the resillience they demonstrated the whole tournament! terim is also a huge coach! he really seems to have that so called 'german winning mentality'.. So it's only fair to congratulate the turkish side with the promise that their football is growing (as they already demonstrated in 2002). As for germany i hope they show again another face in the final like they did against poland and portugal.. But it is clear that the team lacks in many aspects. The defence metzelder/mertesacker is simply terrible! Lahm - SO SMALL AND YET SO BIG!!! (if germany wins the euro he could well turn out to be the best player!) Ballack seems to alternate between good and bad displays.. podolski and schweinsteiger are simply the best! good and regular performances! they are the engine of this not so well tuned machine and both of them should play next season in the premiership or spain/italy! they should make the move it would help the german team too! klose hasn´t been much in focus either but i'm guessing it has to do with the system that simply seems to get stucked somewhere in the centrefield sometimes. If i were Low I'd change the tactics in the final trying to surprise the opponent with speed even if it is risky - they have to show some good football. the potential is there and we'll definitely see a stronger germany in the world cup 2010!
germans rule,turks drool
olsun gururluyuz.milli takım ellerinden gelini yaptı.çok da güzel bir oyun çıkardılar.önemli olan şu şuan dünya bizi takdir ediyor.biz kalitemizi inancımızı gücümüzü ortaya koyduk ve bizi destekleyen desteklemeyen herkezin takdirini kazandık.kaybetmedik yani.Ben milli takımımızla gurur duyuyorum.Üzülmedikmi üzüldük napalım buraya kadarmış. turnuvanın en istekli 3 takımından biriydi.bu maç da futbol kalitesi açısından üst düzey bir maçtı.Sonuna kadar en büyükk TÜRKİYE :)))
Thanks to Turkey for wonderful game! We feel proud of you!!! Take care guys.
See you on 2010, Turkey:)))
"Walk on" to the Turks. They were a joy to watch, and had a lacklustre German team looking very ordinary. Shame the Turks were beaten. The Germans do not deserve to win but they probably will.
Congratulations Germany! :)
Well done to the German team for reaching the finals, good luck in the final.
And to my team the Turkish team, as a Turk I want to say that I am proud of each and everyone of you all, great effort by everyone, we love you all. :))))
And to fellow Turks please ignore those who try to stir everyone up with insultive/racist/hate messages.
Lets make sportsmanship and friendship win above all.
Best wishes to everyone from sunny Turkiye! :)
congratulations Deutschland, now go win the cup.
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