Turan fires home dramatic late winner to send Swiss crashing out of own party

The Swiss have spent four years preparing for this tournament yet they have been undone in the space of just 180 minutes.

Two games, two defeats and the final fixture against Portugal on Sunday is pointless.

Arda Turan fires home Turkey's late winner in Basle, breaking Swiss hearts at Euro 2008

They were beaten by the Czech Republic and Turkey in their own backyard and they were beaten too easily. Now the attention will deservedly turn to the Stade de Geneve and Turkey's mouthwatering clash against the Czech Republic.

One of them will bow out of the tournament and it may not be wise to predict Turkey's exit — not after they showed remarkable character to battle back from 1-0 and set up Super Sunday.

There was optimism in the imposing surrounds of St Jakob Park when Switzerland took the lead during a deluge that momentarily threatened the continuation of this game.

There were scores to settle after the infamous 'Battle of Istanbul'. That was three years ago when Switzerland qualified for the World Cup Finals in the hostile surroundings of the Sukru Saracoglu and Turkey players gained retribution in the tunnel.

Last night more than 40,000 Switzerland fans crammed into St Jakob Park, hoping that Hakan Yakin, recalled to the team in place of the injured Alexander Frei, would conjure the miracle and propel them towards the quarter-finals alongside Portugal.

For a time they lived the dream. Yakin had the first chance, sending a fizzing drive that was tipped around the post by Turkey keeper Volkan Demirel. They hoped to catch Turkey flat footed in the appalling conditions.

Who would be a keeper in weather like this?

Demirel was in the firing line again when Tranquilo Barnetta's free-kick bounced wickedly in front of him and he was isolated when Switzerland took a 32nd-minute lead.

Switzerland's Valon Behrami cuts a dejected figure after Turkey's dramatic win knocked the co-hosts out of Euro 2008

Philippe Senderos, strong as an ox for his country and second rate when he pulls on an Arsenal shirt, sent them on their way when his diagonal pass set Eren Derdiyok scampering into the penalty area. Demirel committed himself and when Derdiyok skipped past him to drill the ball across the six-yard box, Yakin, who was born in Turkey and played for Galatasaray but is a naturalised Swiss citizen, stabbed it into an empty net.

That sent Switzerland's rain-soaked supporters into overdrive, demanding the security of a second goal. They nearly got it when Yakin arrived at the far post to meet Valon Behrami's cross from the right, but the Switzerland striker sent his effort wide of the target. Then they fell apart.

Switzerland coach Jakob Kuhn ignored the double substitution made by Turkey at half-time and his team were pegged back by Semih Senturk.

Turkey's substitutes terrorized Ludovic Magnin into the mistake that led to the equaliser. Nihat Kahveci swung in a cross from the left and Senturk timed his run to head in at the far post.

Yakin should have put the Swiss ahead in the final minutes but Demirel's double save turned the game. Turkey broke deep into added time and Turan's shot deflected off he boot of a Swiss defender and looped in over Diego Benaglio.

Kuhn will be replaced by former Bayern Munich manager Otmar Hitzfeld for the World Cup qualifiers and he cannot fail to improve this team.

Kuhn said: 'The party will go on. We had some problems with injuries, we had some internal problems, but it will still be a wonderful party. The Swiss people will not hold back.'

They deserve better but tonight Austria will try to save face.

Czech Republic and Turkey will have a penalty shootout to decide who advances to the Euro 2008 quarter-finals if they draw their final Group A game in Geneva on Sunday. It would be the first time a shootout will have been used to decide a group game in a major tournament.