Euro 2024 chaos as Turkey and Czech Republic involved in mass brawl at full-time
Emotions spilled over in the aftermath of Turkey's win over Czech Republic on Wednesday night as players from both sides clashed.
The Czech's headed into the match needing a result but ended up losing 2-1 after Antonin Barek was sent off in the first-half. But he wasn't the only one to see red after a wild brawl ensued in Hamburg.
Czech Republic striker Tomas Chory was sent off following the melee while West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek and wonderkid Arda Guler were both shown yellow cards as Hungarian referee Istvan Kovacs attempted to regain order on a night where dished out 18 yellow cards and two reds.
The incident summed up a chaotic match as the group stages came to a thrilling end. And DON’T make the mistake of thinking that Germany are the only nation with home advantage at the Euros.
There are more than seven million people of Turkish descent living in the host country - and about 30,000 of them were in the Volksparkstadion to make a noise that might have been heard in Istanbul.
It didn’t matter whether the Crescent-Stars were in front or hanging onto a place in the last 16 by their fingertips as the 10-man Czech Republic dug deep to make Vincenzo Montella’s side panic, the decibel levels never dropped.
For any team facing Turkey in the knock-out stages, they will have to endure a different kind of hell.
Goals by Hakan Calhanoglu and former Everton striker Cenk Tosin sent them through to a meeting with Austria in Leipzig as Group F runners-up.
Thomas Chory saw red following the brawl
They needed time to take advantage of two moments of madness by Antonin Barek that both earned the Czech forward quick-fire yellow cards and an early exit before 20 minutes had been played.
Hakan Calhanoglu’s sweet strike sparked scenes of unbridled joy in the 51st minute. West Ham’s Tomas Soucek ensured a riotous last 24 minutes when he fired home an equaliser. But Tosun came off the bench to spark an injury-time riot by rammng home the winner.
The Czechs go home - but not without a fight. As well as playing with 10 men, they had to replace keeper Jindrich Stanek when he injured himself producing a spectacular save to deny Real Madrid teenager Arda Guler just seconds before Calhanoglu flashed an angled drive across him to put Turkey ahead.
Ivan Hasek’s side will fly back to Prague wondering what might have been but for Barek’s red card. Barek’s decision to drag down Ferdi Kadioglu was cynical enough. The lunging tackle that caught the top of Salih Ozcan’s foot was just downright dumb given that trigger-happy Romanian ref Istvan Kovacs was obviously determined to make his mark.
Turkey striker Cenk Tosun celebrates after scoring against the Czech Republic at Euro 2024
Yet the Czechs still created the two best chances of the first half. Lukas Provod’s deflected shot forced Turkish keeper Bert Gunok into a flying save before Barek’s meltdown.
And just before the break, after Provod had robbed Guler to set free David Jurasek, it needed an even better block from Gunok to keep Turkey level.
Baris Alper Yilmaz forced Stanek into his first save of the game seconds after the break. And although Stanek then saved brilliantly from Guler, the ball eventually broke for Calhanoglu to beat him with an angled shot of power and precision.
It was back in the balance when Gunok spilled the ball under pressure from Czech sub Tomas Chory and although Samet Akaydin was able to produce a goalline block, there was Soucek to ram home the equaliser.
The final moments were frantic, but then Tosun struck and the Turks were through.
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