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How can Turkey beat Germany?
by Paul Saffer from Basel
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Could even third-choice goalkeeper Tolga Zengin
have a part to play tonight? (¿Getty Images)
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Taking on Germany in a UEFA European Championship semi-final
is hard enough - they have won five out of six games at this stage. When
you have four players suspended and at least the same number injured from
a squad of 23, the size of the task faced tonight by Turkey in Basel becomes
apparent.
Spirit
So what are Fatih Terim's men to do? Firstly, and most obviously, they
can keep doing exactly what they have been over the last fortnight. In
their previous game at St. Jakob-Park against Switzerland, they trailed
1-0 at the interval and Turkey seemed ready to be washed away by the torrential
rain. Semih Senturk and Arda Turan then struck in a comeback that, incredibly,
was bettered by the turnaround to beat the Czech Republic 3-2 and the
sensational ending to the quarter-final with Croatia.
Talent
It should also be remembered that Turkey still have some talented players
to pick from. Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel may be suspended but Rustu Recber
has 117 caps and proved against Croatia that he has learned a thing or
two - indeed he is the only survivor from the 2002 FIFA World Cup semi-final
against Brazil likely to play tonight. Plus, Terim has proved a master
tactician so far, even if he may not have quite as many substitute options
as he would like, third-string goalkeeper Tolga Zengin aside. And, of
course, Germany have performed best in the last few years when outsiders,
not hot favourites. How do you think Turkey could pull off another superb
result tonight?
Euro2008.com,
25 June 2008
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