Euro 2000 Group B - Belgium 0 Turkey 2

Turkey are in the quarter finals of a major tournament for the first time after they defeated Euro 2000 co hosts Belgium 2-0 in a wild encounter in the Belgian capital.

The Brussels fans saw their side do everything but score in the first half as the home team's muscular attacking style pinned the Turks back in defence but the game turned when Hakan Sukur scored the first of his double strike in first half injury time.

A long and high clearance from Alpay was allowed to drop on the edge of the area by Belgium. The defenders assumed that the ball would run through to goalkeeper Filip De Wilde and he came to meet it. Sukur had other ideas. The new Inter Milan striker followed the ball in and timed his jump to defeat the grasp of De Wilde and send the ball into an empty net with a header.

Now Turkey had a place in the last 8 to fight for and their defending improved in the second half as if inspired by new self belief.

As Belgium pushed forward Tayfur ran down the right and sprang the off side trap to cross low to Sukur at the far post and he clipped the ball into the roof of the net in the 69th minute to end Belgian involvement in Euro 2000.

It was a classic counter strike and swept the confidence from the home team.

Luc Nilis came close with a near post drive after he had chested the ball down in the 71st minute but outstanding Turkish goalkeeper Rustu Recber saved that shot and several others.

All hope dies for the Belgians when defender Marc Deflandre had to take over in goal after De Wilde was red carded for a horrific assault on Arif in the 83rd minute. The goalkeeper came sprinting out of goal to meet Arif's break down the right hand side and brought the Turkish striker down with an elbow to the neck and arms around the head as he fell.

Arif was stretchered away from the game and the Turkish triumph and looked to have serious neck problems after the brutal challenge.

Referee Gunter Benko sent off De Wilde immediately and the goalkeeper may face heavy discipline from UEFA. Fans with long memories will recall the horror tackle by Harald Schumacher on French defender Patrick Batiston in a France v West Germany World Cup semi final of June 1982 in Spain and De Wilde's challenge was equally dangerous.

Austrian referee Benko was himself a substitute. At the 41st minute mark referee Kim Nielsen went off with a groin strain and was replaced by Benko.

As Belgium chased the game in the second half - they needed only a draw to reach the last 8 - Rustu saved well from a powerful Emile Mpenza header in the 53rd minute and the Turkish goalkeeper was stranded in the 59th minute but saw substitute Marc Hendrycx poke a shot wide through a pack of players.

Arif had almost given Turkey the lead in the 37th minute after Mustafa Denizli's team had weathered the early storm. Arif ran past two defenders but hit his shot against De Wilde's legs and over the bar.

Okan had scooped a ball wide i the 33rd minute when set up by Sukur and the Inter man had run clean tho\rough avoiding off side in the 26th minute to see a low shot saved by De Wilde.

Three minutes before that Mpenza had followed up a good save from Rustu after a powerful drive from Goor and the striker hit the rebound into the net but it was ruled out for off side in a decision that visibly upset the Belgian team and from that moment the momentum of their hard running start to the match started to drain away.

They were left to brood on wild finishes from Mpenza in the opening 18 minutes. He slashed two shots and a header wide when Belgium were totally dominant.