AP

A power outage took out TV pictures of the match almost all over the world. Vienna’s main fan zone was evacuated because of a spectacular thunderstorm. Two players had bloodied heads stitched, and a pro-Tibet demonstrator ran onto the field.

Just another day at soccer’s European Championship. Euro 2008 has been all about the unexpected. Teams who were heavily favored to reach the final didn’t get to the knockout phase, while those supposed to go out early went all the way to the semifinal. The early pacesetters such as the Netherlands, Croatia and Portugal are already home, while slow starter Russia is going strong on behalf of the pretournament outsiders.

The first semifinal ended when Philipp Lahm out-Turkeyed the Turks with a 90th-minute winner in Germany’s 3-2 triumph.

The fact that the three-time champion Germans are in the final is no real surprise. How they got there was a meandering route and typical of the twists and turns that have made this championship such a good one.

A seesawing game at St. Jakob Park in Basel, Switzerland, could have gone either way right up until the final minute, and was typical of this championship. Chasing their fourth European title, the Germans will now face the winner of Thursday’s semifinal in Vienna between Spain and Russia, and who can predict which way that game will go.

The Turks were so close to getting there, too.

They arrived in the semifinals with the reputation for scoring late, match-winning goals. An injury-time winner against Switzerland, three goals in the last 15 minutes to overturn a 2-0 deficit against the Czech Republic, and an equalizer in the final minute of extra time before ousting Croatia on penalties.

This time, they went for the German throat straight from the start.

Kazim Kazim twice hit the crossbar and, when the Germans failed to clear his second, Ugur Boral got to the ball first for a weak shot that goalkeeper Jens Lehmann couldn’t keep out.

The Turks aren’t used to holding the lead, however, and it was no real surprise that Germany equalized within four minutes.

Lukas Podolski crossed from the left and Bastian Schweinsteiger, in almost a copy of his finish in the 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Portugal, got there first to deftly turn the ball home at the near goalpost with the outside of his right foot.

When Miroslav Klose edged the Germans in front in the 79th, the stage was set for one of those famous Turkey comebacks. When it came, however, millions of viewers around the world didn’t see it. The picture went down before Semih Senturk deflected home a right-wing cross in the 86th minute for the equalizer. A fourth extra time in a row at this championship loomed large .

Lahm made sure it didn’t happen.

Minutes after a spectator wearing a T-shirt with the words “Tibet is not China” on it ran onto the field to be engulfed by security staff, the left back who had blundered his way through the game cut inside and swapped passes with midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger. Lahm ran clear of the Turkey defense to shoot home—and lift the Germans into their sixth Euro title game.

Thankfully for those Germans following the game back home on TV, the pictures had come back in time for Lahm’s winner.

The final whistle blew and the Turks’ amazing run at these championships was over.

The Germans could look ahead.

Lukas Podolski conducted the German fans in one of their celebration songs and then jumped over the fence to be among them. Familiar scenes for German fans who have seen their team win title after title at World Cups and Euros.

OK, Germany is in the final—again. But don’t assume anything in Sunday’s match in Vienna.

It’s a near certainly that this European Championship has more surprises to come.