Plenty to savour from varied quarter-finals
VIENNA (Reuters) - Two great games, two penalty shoot-outs, two unexpected winners and two unforgettable, mad minutes -- the quarter-finals kept the drama going at Euro 2008.
Three of the four teams who topped the qualifying groups are already at home and the fourth, Spain, scraped through only on penalties to join Germany, Russia and Turkey in a last-four lineup that would have attracted handsome odds three weeks ago.
Steeped in a tradition of reaching the latter stages of major tournaments, it is no surprise that Germany should be in the last four, where they face Fatih Terim's Turkey.
Having stuttered through, Germany rediscovered their swagger against a Portugal side who had looked polished in their advance.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack scored in the 3-2 win but there was a thrilling finale as Portugal threw everyone forward in search of an equaliser.
The next game featured a two-minute cameo that will live long in the memory. Croatia seemed set to advance when Ivan Klasnic headed them into a 1-0 lead in the 119th minute, only for Turkey's Semih Senturk to level with the last kick of the match.
Pandemonium ensued as the distraught Croatians had to drag themselves from the depths of despair and, to nobody's great surprise, failed to do so as the Turks won the shoot-out 3-1.
HAUNTING MINUTES Continued...
Man walks into his own funeral.