Comeback kings Turkey to play Germany in Euro 2008 semi-final

Turkey's line-up is expected to be as follows: 1-Rustu Recber, 20-Sabri Sarioglu, 4-Gökhan Zan, 3-Hakan Balta, 16-UÄŸur Boral, 22-Hamit Altintop, 7-Mehmet Aurelio, 6-Mehmet Topal, 19-Ayhan Akman, 18-Kazim Kazim, 9-Semih Senturk; Turkish TV channels reported on Wednesday.   Â

Turkey can beat Germany without needing a miracle, coach Fatih Terim said ahead of the Wednesday's game.      Â

Late comeback wins over Switzerland and Czech Republic in the group stage and an equalizer in the 122nd minute of the quarter-final victory over Croatia on penalties has led to Turkey being hailed as miracle workers.

A triumph over Germany in their first European Championship semi-final would be even more remarkable given Turkey's raft of injuries and suspensions. However, Fatih does not want the term miracle being used.

"As far as I know there are three results you can get in football, there is no result called 'miracle' in football," he told a news conference on Tuesday.

"I don't think anything is impossible. I laugh at those who say it is luck or a miracle."

Terim said the only miracle was his troubled country coming together thanks to his team's success. Â

"In our country we have many crises and people who are intolerant of others. But when the topic is football it unites people. Everyone seems to have united under the Turkish flag," he said.

"If you are looking for a miracle, that is the miracle. Everyone for just a few weeks has been able to forget their worries."

If Turkey makes it through, he said he did not care whether they faced Spain or Russia in Sunday's final. The pair will meet in their semi-final in Vienna on Thursday.

Turkey won three and drew in three of the 17 past matches played against Germany. Â

14 PLAYERS

Turkey is down to 14 fit players - two goal-keepers and 12 out-field players, as the Turkish team is without the banned quartet of keeper Volkan Demirel, Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan, who scored their last gasp winner against the Swiss, and Emre Asik.

Three players are definitely ruled out by injury; striker Nihat Kahveci, who has returned to Spain for treatment on a thigh problem picked up against the Croats, Emre Gungor and skipper Emre Belozoglu.

But defender Servet Cetin and midfielder Tumer Metin have both been rushed back from minor injuries and may come off the bench.

Terim laughed off his previous comments reserve goalkeeper Tolga Zengin was being considered for a role in midfield, due to their dire situation.

"It was a joke, but people took me seriously," Terim laughed.

"I said it to express the situation we were in, but people took me seriously."

Up to half a million football fans are expected to descend on the Brandenburg Gate here on Wednesday to watch the Euro 2008 quarter-final between Germany and Turkey, the AFP reported.

The clash promises to be a high octane encounter as Berlin possesses one of the largest Turkish communities, 120,000, in a country where nearly 3 million people is either Turkish-born or of Turkish origin.

This will be the second semi-final appearance for Turkey in a major tournament, the first having come at the 2002 World Cup when Senol Gunes' team lost 1-0 to Brazil in Saitama, Japan.

Germany played brilliantly to beat Portugal 3-2 in the quarter-finals but coach Joachim Loew said there would be no question of his side becoming complacent on their return to Basel.

"Turkey have proved that their morale is high," Loew was quoted by Reuters as saying at the news conference. "They have had three great comebacks and we know it will be an intense match."

Loew had two spells coaching in Turkey early in his career and he said the progress made since then had paid off for the country in this tournament.