Turkey’s bid to beat Germany and reach the final of Euro 2008 is in danger of being wrecked by injuries and suspensions.
Turkey staged one of the greatest comebacks in a major tournament, scoring three times in the last 15 minutes to beat Czech Republic 3-2 on Sunday.
Turkey and Czech Republic take centre stage on Sunday while Switzerland and Portugal meet in a match with little at stake except pride.
Switzerland saw their Euro 2008 hopes dashed by a last-gasp winner from Turkey’s Arda Turan that secured a 2-1 victory.
Only four days after kicking off Euro 2008, co-hosts Switzerland could be out of the competition after their second match against Turkey on Wednesday.
Three finely executed goals, two entertaining matches and two sell-out crowds in Basel and Geneva signalled a positive footballing start to Euro 2008.
Manchester United took a huge step towards retaining their Premier League title when they beat West Ham United 4-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday after playing more than half the match with 10 men. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice while Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick both scored against their old club as United moved on to 84 points with one match to play.
A stunning goal from Paul Scholes gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday to set up an all-English Champions League final against either Liverpool or Chelsea in Moscow next month. Scholes was suspended for United’s epic victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 final, and Ferguson had already said he would play in the final if they qualified.
Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-1 in a dramatic match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to pull level at the top of the Premier League and keep alive their hopes of snatching the title from United’s grasp. Michael Ballack was Chelsea’s scoring hero, deciding the game with an 86th-minute penalty after heading the home side ahead at the end of the first half.
The latest chapter in Liverpool and Chelsea’s seemingly never-ending European saga will be written on Tuesday when hostilities resume in the Champions League for the fourth successive season. Including domestic matches, it will be the 19th time the two clubs have faced each other in the last four seasons.