Euro 2000 Group B - Sweden 0 Turkey 0

Sweden and Turkey failed to produce a goal between them in Eindhoven and now each side needs a victory in its last Euro 2000 Group B match to stand any chance of staying in the competition.

The worst match of the finals so far was a sterile tactical battle from the 15th minute onwards after both teams overcame nervous and hurried opening spells to settle into dull predictability.

Turkey did not have the physical strength to impose their passing game on the Swedes who did not have the creativity necessary to seriously test the Turkish defence.

The best chance of the second half fell to the Turks when Arif ran through the middle of the Turkish defence and launched a shot at Magnus Hedman in the Swedish goal. He dived to parry the shot but it went into the path of substitute Sergen and he lifted the chance over the bar first time.

Hakan Sukur rose to meet a header in the 88th from a deep cross but the ball came off the top of his head and landed out of play.

Sweden produced a Gary Sundgren drive on target early in the second half but otherwise failed to test Rustu Recber's Turkish goal.

The first half was slightly better.

Frederik Ljungberg miss hit a shot in the 40th minute when clear on goal and Rustu needed to save at his near post after a one-two with returning striker Henrik Larsson put Kennet Andersson clear on the left for a low drive on 28 minutes.

Arif jumped a volleyed over the bar in the 11th minute when the Swedes failed to clear a long ball with a succession of weak headers.

Kennet Andersson got the game off to a great start with a curling free kick shot around the defensive wall in the 2nd minute that forced Recber to save underneath his cross bar but the rest of the game failed to live up to that promise.

Turkey always attacked through the middle of the Swedish defence an they found it reasonably easy to avoid conceding shots to the Turks but the Swedes themselves never held the initiative for long.

Both sides need a win now to stay in the tournament. Sweden play Italy and Turkey play co-hosts Belgium in their final matches in Group B. Italy have qualified on 6 points with Belgium second on 3 points with two to qualify for the quarter finals. Sweden and Turkey both have 1 point each.