Lahm scores late goal for Germany to beat Turkey in dramatic style

Philipp Lahm ended Turkey's storybook run in the European Championship yesterday by scoring a 90th-minute goal to give Germany a 3-2 semi-final victory and keep them on target for a record fourth title.

With two goals in the final five minutes, the match could have gone either way, but after three thrilling comeback victories in a row for Turkey, it was Germany's day.

First, Semih Senturk kept Turkey in the game with an 86th-minute equaliser, beating Jens Lehmann at the near post.

But Lahm then cut in from left, set up a one-two, collected the ball and shot it past Rustu Recber to unleash the joy of about 20,000 German fans at St. Jakob Park.

Ugur Boral gave Turkey the lead in the 22nd, but Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised in the 26th.

Miroslav Klose seemed to have closed out the match for Germany in the 79th. Lahm sent a long cross into the penalty area, where Klose cut in front of Mehmet Topal and a hopelessly out of position Recber to head into the empty net.

The Germans, however, were not counting on the resilience of a Turkish team which never gives up. But this time, even Senturk's second late goal in as many matches was not enough.

After taking an early lead through the inspirational Boral, Schweinsteiger scored his second goal of the tournament four minutes later.

Turkey dominated most of the match despite four suspensions and five injuries, proving its run of extraordinary comeback victories were no fluke. With a fully fit team, Germany struggled throughout as captain Michael Ballack could not inspire the forward line.

Turkey were inspirational, though.

Taking a cross from the right, Kazim Kazim slid in front of defender Per Mertesacker and sent a looping shot past Lehmann onto the bar. Boral was waiting for the rebound and rifled it through the goalkeeper's legs.

Grapple and grasp as Lehmann might, the ball bounced over the line and yet another upset win seemed in the making.

The Turks have proved the comeback kids throughout the tournament but holding an early lead proved impossible.

Germany instead showed off their legendary efficiency by scoring on their first chance of the match four minutes later. Lukas Podolski broke away on the left and sent a perfect low cross to Bayern teammate Schweinsteiger in the centre.

With an almost nonchalant flick of the outside right foot, he beat Topal to the ball and curled it past Recber for his second goal of the tournament.

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Alpine storms knock out TV images of thrilling semi-final

The finale to Germany's 3-2 win over Turkey in the European Championship semi-final was a thriller, but unfortunately no one outside the ground saw it, either in victorious Germany, gloomy Turkey or any other country around the world.

A violent thunderstorm swept across Austria to knock out telecommunications for most of the second half of the gripping contest. Television pictures reappeared briefly but then vanished altogether for the last 15 minutes, when three goals were scored to give Germany a place in Sunday's final. Internet coverage of the game was also interrupted.

Spectators at the match in the Swiss city of Basel remained dry and unperturbed throughout.