Croatia 1-1 Turkey (1-3 pens): Never-say-die Turkey stun Croatia and reach last four

Published on Saturday 21 June 2008 02:32

TURKEY left it late again last night to secure victory as a dramatic penalty shoot-out success after an equaliser in injury time of extra-time at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium left Croatia defeated and took Fatih Terim's side into the Euro 2008 semi-finals.

Turkey won in even more stunning circumstances than against Czech Republic in their final group game, having looked dead and buried after Croatia's Ivan Klasnic scored to end 119 minutes of goalless action.

Croatia manager Slaven Bilic had run down the touchline in celebration but there was more to come in a remarkable finale, Semih Senturk rifling into the top corner to force penalties.

After Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic went wide with their spot-kicks, Rustu Recber saved from Mladen Petric to set up a fixture in Basel against Germany next week. It also came against the odds as injuries and suspension left Terim with just 15 outfield players and eight of his starting XI on a yellow card.

Victory came at a cost as Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan and Emre Asik will be banned for the semi-final after picking up yellow cards. Nihat Kahveci also appeared to pick up a groin strain.

That will not matter, however, to the Turkish quarter in Vienna who were sent into wild celebration when Rustu saved Petric's kick. Known as 'The Emperor', Terim now has a chance of eclipsing the deeds of 2002 when Turkey reached the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Bilic admitted he will be "haunted" forever by his side's heartbreaking defeat.

His side dominated much of the quarter-final and the flamboyant coach said: "The last two minutes I cannot describe; this will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

"I am proud of my players, but at the same time we are sorry and unhappy because we thought we could go all the way. I congratulate the Turkish team but I still don't believe we deserved to lose.

"This was a good match and I would like to congratulate all that took part in it," Bilic added. "This match had an incredible ending, the kind of ending you only find in football."

Turkey coach Terim also paid tribute to both sets of players. "I would like to congratulate the Croatia team," he said. "It was a good game but this is football and you should never give up until the very end, until the referee blows his whistle, that is why football is an interesting game.

"I want to congratulate my own players as well, both sides could have won this game. We conceded a goal at a crucial time and then we scored at a crucial time."

Terim also revealed his side had not done any special preparation for a possible penalty shoot-out before the game.

"I said that we didn't practise penalties before game, but that's how the game finished and we ended up in semi-finals," he added.

The Croats started strongly and veteran goalkeeper Rustu, deputising for the suspended Volkan Demirel, failed to clear his lines and Rakitic raced down the left to cross for Darijo Srna – only for Hakan Balta to scramble clear when an open goal beckoned. Turkey squeezed the midfield but Modric managed to find time on the ball to orchestrate Croatia's attacks.

It was Tottenham's new signing who crossed to the far post in the 19th minute, with Ivica Olic thudding the crossbar when he had most of Rustu's goal to aim for. The rebound came to Niko Kranjcar but the Portsmouth midfielder was unable to steer his header on target.

Turkey's best chance came when Stipe Pletikosa's goal when Mehmet Topal grazed the post with a powerful 35-yard drive seven minutes before the break.

Just after the restart Croatia again almost pounced on Rustu's hesitancy. Failing to collect a long ball, Olic beat him to the ball but did not get power on his header. Rustu was down sharply, however, when Modric released Kranjcar and the midfielder poked towards goal.

Turkey went for a change in attack, replacing London-born Colin Kazim-Richards with Ugur Boral, while Kranjcar went off for Petric as Bilic made his move. Just after the substitutions were made, Olic headed just over when he met a hanging cross. Srna's free-kick was tipped over by Rustu and when the veteran blocked another effort from Olic, extra-time was inevitable.

Klasnic thought he had won it when he headed in Modric's cross after more Rustu hesitation in the 119th minute, but when Semih found the top corner with a deflected drive, the drama of penalties unfolded.

Croatia: Pletikosa, Corluka, R Kovac, Simunic, Pranjic, Srna, Modric, N Kovac, Rakitic, Kranjcar (Petric 64), Olic (Klasnic 97).

Turkey: Rustu, Altintop, Zan, Asik, Balta, Topal (Senturk 76), Sarioglu, Sanli, Turan, Kazim-Richards (Boral 61), Nihat (Karadeniz 117). Booked: Sanli, Turan, Boral, Asik.