İlhan keeps Portugal in check

İlhan Parlak completed a hat-trick with an astonishing 95th-minute equaliser as Turkey kept their UEFA European Under-19 Championship ambitions alive with an exhilarating 4-4 draw against Group B rivals Portugal in Szamotuly.

Frenetic finale
Diogo Tavares had left Portugal cruising at 3-1 early in the second half after scoring twice, having also set up a sixth-minute opener for Hélder Barbosa. But Turkey refused to lie down and İlhan gave them hope on 68 minutes when he headed in his second of the game. Within minutes Mevlüt Erding had struck an acrobatic equaliser and although Bruno Gama converted a 73rd-minute penalty to restore Portugal's advantage, there was to be another twist as İlhan achieved his treble to leave Group B wide open.

Fortuitous strike
Carlos Dinis's side must now beat Spain on Sunday to guarantee their passage to the semi-finals, a situation that seemed unlikely after a strong first-half performance. One of three players brought into the Portugal lineup, Tavares caused havoc for the Turkey centre-backs and after creating the first goal for Hélder Barbosa he added the second, turning the ball in from close range after Bruno Gama's left-wing free-kick had ricocheted off the post via a Turkish boot and into his path.

Araújo saves
It capped a demoralising start to proceedings for Turkey goalkeeper Serkan Boydak - one of five changes to the team that had lost 5-3 to Spain on Tuesday – but the two-goal lead was short-lived as İlhan sprang the offside trap and calmly fired beyond Igor Araújo. Given that Portugal had cancelled out a similar deficit against Scotland on Tuesday, the tables appeared to be turning and Araújo had to deny Serdar Özkan and İlhan with point-blank stops. However, when the excellent Gürhan Gürsoy rattled the upright from an acute angle just before half-time, it did not look like being Turkey's day.

Scrambled equaliser
Indeed, four minutes after the restart Portugal extended their advantage when Hélder Barbosa, who had missed two good openings, crossed for Tavares to head in. İlhan kept Turkey in the match as he chipped in Arda Turan's centre to make it 3-2 with over 20 minutes remaining and when Mevlüt equalised, Turkey were on course for a stunning fightback. Bruno Gama stopped them in their tracks from the penalty spot after substitute Feliciano Condesso had been brought down, before İlhan reined Portugal in a final time, squeezing the ball in after it had cannoned back off a post. As with Portugal, a win for Turkey against Scotland on Sunday will secure their unlikely progress.