LAHM MAULS TURKEY

Rewind to 2008:

Turkey were nicknamed the Terminators at Euro 2008. Why? Because they just kept coming back. They arrived at the semi-final stage to take on Germany having been ahead in all of their previous games for a total of just two minutes.

Here the Turks were in with a chance of downing Germany but they were in pieces.

Four suspensions and a boatload of injuries meant their hopes of pulling off another upset were low.

The Crescent Stars had scraped out of Group A alongside Portugal, having lost 2-0 to Cristiano Ronaldo and company.

In the quarter-finals they beat Croatia on penalties after forcing the shoot-out with a last-gasp goal in extra-time.

Surely this was a step too far? “Nothing is impossible,” said Turkey coach Fatih Terim. “It only takes time.” But time was not on their side on this occasion.

Turkey got off to a flying start, hitting the bar early through Londoner Colin Kazim-Richards.

Ugur Boral then fired them in front. They led for five minutes – the longest they were ahead in the tournament – so it was unfamiliar territory for the big surprise packages of the Euros.

Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised for the favourites and Miroslav Klose looked to have won it for

Germany with 11 minutes remaining – but Turkey refused to down tools.

They got themselves level in the 86th minute through Semih Senturk. Surely not another comeback?

But it was defender Philipp Lahm who scored late this time for Joachim Low’s side, the full-back firing home a superb goal to win it in the 90th minute.

It was an heroic effort and arguably Turkey had deserved to sneak through in a classic encounter in Basle.

Defender Gokhan Zan summed it up, saying: “We didn’t deserve to lose. If you look at the statistics, we had more possession and more shots on goal – but it wasn’t much help.

“We played an excellent game. On one hand we’re happy and on the other sad; happy because for the first time we made the semi-final, sad because we lost when we played so well.”

Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel was gasping for air after the game. She said: “I really must say I often had to catch my breath. I heartily congratulate our team.”

Germany progressed to the final against Spain but they would come up short in Vienna, with Fernando Torres’s goal proving decisive.