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Ballack ready for semi-final

24 June 2008 | 15:10 - PA Sport

Favourites... Germany wil be firm favourites against Turkey but Ballack and his team-mates won't be taking it easy at training (Getty Images)

Germany captain Michael Ballack believes Turkey's unpredictability makes the outcome of their Euro 2008 semi-final in Basel too close to call.

SBS Radio will broadcast the GERMANY v TURKEY semi-final LIVE from Auburn Rd, Auburn, NSW on Thursday 26 June from 4.15am (kick-off at 4.45am) with the Turkish program's EURO 2008 team of Evrim Gunce, Cem Yalcinkaya and Ozan Gunce in attendance. The broadcast will include LIVE crosses to St. Jakob-Park, Basel.

The Turks have a mountain of injury and suspension problems ahead of their match with the highly-fancied Germans, but their never-say-die attitude makes them dangerous opponents.

Fatih Terim's men have scored last-minute winners in their last three games to progress to their first European Championship semi-final against all the odds.

And Ballack is not about to make any rash predictions in the face of such mercurial opposition.

"Turkey are certainly not better than us tactically, technically and in terms of individual players," said the Chelsea midfielder, who excelled in Germany's 3-2 win over Portugal in the last eight.

"But they are unpredictable and they won't underestimate any of us."

"Turkey have up until now always been brilliantly set up against their opponents and they almost have a bit of the German mentality about them."

"It will be a tough task, but we have a big chance of making the final."

Ballack is set to have Torsten Frings back alongside him in centre midfield at St Jakob Park, the Werder Bremen anchorman having returned to training after breaking ribs.

Indeed, Germany coach Joachim Loew confirmed all 23 players in his squad were available for the match.

The situation is the exact opposite for Terim, who could be faced with the prospect of playing third-choice goalkeeper Tolga Zengin in an outfield position if he is needed off the bench.

The latest blow to befall the Turks came when UEFA turned down goalkeeper Volkan Demirel's appeal against his two-game suspension.

Volkan, Terim's number one stopper, was sent off in stoppage-time of his side's dramatic 3-2 Group A victory over Czech Republic after pushing Jan Koller, and missed the quarter-final win over Croatia as a result.

He had hoped to get the ban reduced in order to play against Germany, but UEFA have upheld their decision.

It leaves Terim with four players - including Middlesbrough forward Tuncay Sanli - suspended, while Nihat Kahveci, Emre Gungor, Servet Cetin, Tumer Metin and Newcastle midfielder Emre Belozoglu are all injured.

London-born Colin Kazim-Richards is available to Terim and he is backing his coach, who is nicknamed 'The Emperor' in his homeland, to do the impossible again.

"He is always instilling belief," the 21-year-old forward said of the former AC Milan and Galatasaray boss.

"He is incredible. He doesn't let your head go down - if it does, he shouts at you straight away."

"And believe me, when that man shouts you look. It's like nothing I've seen before. The coach gives us belief."

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