Switzerland v Turkey, 11 June 2008

Score2-1 to Turkey
RefereeĽuboš Micheľ
CompetitionUEFA European Championship Finals Group A
VenueSt Jakob Park, Basel
Attendance39,730
Kick-Off: 8.45pm local Assistant referees: Roman Slyško (Slovakia) Martin Balko (Slovakia) Fourth official: Damir Skomina (Slovenia) Man of the Match: Arda Turan (Turkey) Arda Turan's deflected goal deep in injury time earned Turkey a win that resurrected their UEFA EURO 2008 hopes at Switzerland's on a dramatic night, played to a background more akin to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein than a football match. Switzerland, like Turkey beaten on the opening day, dealt better with a Basel downpour and Hakan Yakin put them ahead just past the half-hour with a rain-assisted goal. Not for the first time (and certainly not the last) Semih Şentürk climbed off the bench to equalise and it seemed destined for a draw. Arda had other ideas. It consigned Switzerland to fourth place in Group A, a bitter blow for a side that began the game deprived of their first-choice strike partnership after Marco Streller joined Alexander Frei on the sidelines. In came Eren Derdiyok and Yakin, but it was a third player with Turkish heritage, Gökhan Inler, who first tested Volkan Demirel as the co-hosts reacted better to the conditions left when the heavens opened after ten minutes. The goalkeeper was further tested by a stinging Yakin shot and Tranquillo Barnetta's free-kick. Turkey, already decimated by injury following their 2-0 opening day defeat by Portugal, could only watch as Fatih Terim's tactical plans were washed away by the downpour. Yet they almost took a sensational lead when Nihat Kahveci's free-kick was tipped by Diego Benaglio onto the head of Arda and the ricochet hit the woodwork. Three minutes later Switzerland scored and the weather could claim an assist. Derdiyok chased a long ball into the right channel, rounded Volkan and squared. Unexpectedly, the ball held up right in the goalmouth and the grateful Yakin reacted first to tap in. A couple of minutes later he could have had another but this time he misjudged Valon Behrami's cross. The rain eased before the break and onto the partially-drained pitch came Turkey substitutes Semih and Mehmet Topal. Semih's appearance was a statement of attacking intent, and Turkey bravely continued with their short passing game in tough conditions. That enterprise was rewarded when Nihat sent in a superb looping cross and Semih rose to head in. The game opened up. It took a sliding block from Hakan Balta to deny Yakin and Inler went close before Volkan pulled off a great double save from Ricardo Cabanas and Inler again. That proved invaluable when Arda set off on a run and his strike from the edge of the box flew in off the devastated Patrick Müller.

1  Switzerland

Manager: Kobi Kuhn

2  Turkey

Manager: Fatih Terim

Goals:

Hakan Yakin 32 G

Goals:

Semih Senturk 57 G
Arda Turan 90 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio
Defender/Centre back Philippe Senderos
Defender/Midfielder Valon Behrami
Midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta
Midfielder Gelson Fernandes
Midfielder Gokhan Inler
Midfielder Ludovic Magnin (captain)
Midfielder Patrick Müller
Midfielder Hakan Yakin
Forward Eren Derdiyok

Starting lineup:

Volkan Demirel Goalkeeper
Emre Aşık Defender
Servet Çetin Defender
Arda Turan Midfielder
Hakan Balta Midfielder
Hamit Altintop Midfielder
Mehmet Aurélio Midfielder
Tümer Metin Midfielder
Nihat Kahveci Forward (captain)

Substitutions:

Johann Vonlanthen for Tranquillo Barnetta 66
Ricardo Cabanas for Gelson Fernandes 76
Daniel Gygax for Hakan Yakin 85

Substitutions:

Mehmet Topal for Tümer Metin 46
Semih Senturk for Semih Senturk 46
Colin Kazim-Richards for Nihat Kahveci 85

Cards:

Eren Derdiyok 55 Y

Cards:

Tuncay Şanlı 31 Y
Mehmet Aurélio 41 Y
Hakan Balta 48 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović
Goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler
Defender Johann Djourou
Midfielder Ricardo Cabanas
Midfielder David Degen
Midfielder Daniel Gygax
Midfielder Benjamin Huggel
Midfielder/Forward Johann Vonlanthen

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber
Goalkeeper Tolga Zengin
Defender Emre Gungor
Defender Gökhan Zan
Midfielder Ayhan Akman
Midfielder Emre Belözoğlu
Midfielder Mehmet Topal
Midfielder Sabri Sarıoğlu
Midfielder Semih Senturk
Midfielder Ugur Boral

Comments:

- Switzerland are out of the competition. They are only the second host country, since the introduction of the knock-out stages in 1984, to fail to progress from the group stages. - Switzerland remain without a victory in eight European Championship matches. This is the longest running winless streak in the competition, and only one short of the record held by Russia (Soviet Union and CIS included). - At 25 years and 44 days, Switzerland fielded the youngest starting line-up at Euro 2008, and the youngest Swiss starting line-up ever in a European Championship match.

Comments:

- The 2-1 win is only Turkey's second victory at the European Championship in nine matches.

1  Switzerland

Manager: Kobi Kuhn

Goals:

Hakan Yakin 32 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio
Defender/Centre back Philippe Senderos
Defender/Midfielder Valon Behrami
Midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta
Midfielder Gelson Fernandes
Midfielder Gokhan Inler
Midfielder Ludovic Magnin (captain)
Midfielder Patrick Müller
Midfielder Hakan Yakin
Forward Eren Derdiyok

Substitutions:

Johann Vonlanthen for Tranquillo Barnetta 66
Ricardo Cabanas for Gelson Fernandes 76
Daniel Gygax for Hakan Yakin 85

Cards:

Eren Derdiyok 55 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović
Goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler
Defender Johann Djourou
Midfielder Ricardo Cabanas
Midfielder David Degen
Midfielder Daniel Gygax
Midfielder Benjamin Huggel
Midfielder/Forward Johann Vonlanthen

Comments:

- Switzerland are out of the competition. They are only the second host country, since the introduction of the knock-out stages in 1984, to fail to progress from the group stages. - Switzerland remain without a victory in eight European Championship matches. This is the longest running winless streak in the competition, and only one short of the record held by Russia (Soviet Union and CIS included). - At 25 years and 44 days, Switzerland fielded the youngest starting line-up at Euro 2008, and the youngest Swiss starting line-up ever in a European Championship match.

2  Turkey

Manager: Fatih Terim

Goals:

Semih Senturk 57 G
Arda Turan 90 G

Starting lineup:

Volkan Demirel Goalkeeper
Emre Aşık Defender
Servet Çetin Defender
Arda Turan Midfielder
Hakan Balta Midfielder
Hamit Altintop Midfielder
Mehmet Aurélio Midfielder
Tümer Metin Midfielder
Nihat Kahveci Forward (captain)

Substitutions:

Mehmet Topal for Tümer Metin 46
Semih Senturk for Semih Senturk 46
Colin Kazim-Richards for Nihat Kahveci 85

Cards:

Tuncay Şanlı 31 Y
Mehmet Aurélio 41 Y
Hakan Balta 48 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber
Goalkeeper Tolga Zengin
Defender Emre Gungor
Defender Gökhan Zan
Midfielder Ayhan Akman
Midfielder Emre Belözoğlu
Midfielder Mehmet Topal
Midfielder Sabri Sarıoğlu
Midfielder Semih Senturk
Midfielder Ugur Boral

Comments:

- The 2-1 win is only Turkey's second victory at the European Championship in nine matches.