BBC Sportfootball_euro08

Thousands of Dutch supporters arrive in Basel hoping their highly fancied team can secure a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2008

The Russians start as underdogs but have already shown in the tournament that they are a team to be reckoned with

Ruud van Nistelrooy challenges Russia's Denis Kolodin during the opening minutes at the St Jakob-Park stadium

Russia's former Netherlands boss Guss Hiddink sees his team make an impressive start against his native country

The Netherlands are given an early scare when unmarked Russia forward Roman Pavlyuchenko heads over from 10 yards out

Kolodin has a shot tipped over by Dutch keeper Edwin van der Sar and sees another long-range effort fly just over the bar

Van der Sar also produces a fine save to deny Andrei Arshavin as the Russians continue to dominate

Van Nistelrooy misses the Netherlands' best chance of the first half when he fails to find the target from Rafael van der Vaart's free-kick

The Dutch are struggling and coach Marco van Basten has every reason to look concerned at half-time

And Russia go ahead when Pavlyuchenko gets in front of Joris Mathijsen to nudge home Sergei Semak's 56th-minute cross

Pavlyuchenko's goal - his third of the tournament - is no more than the Russians deserve and puts them within sight of the semi-finals

Russia continue to threaten the Dutch goal but defender Aleksandr Anyukov is among those who miss chances to make it 2-0

And Russia are left to rue those misses when Van Nistelrooy stoops to head in an equaliser with four minutes of normal time remaining

Russia think they have been reduced to 10 men when Kolodin is given a second yellow card following a challenge on Wesley Sneijder

But referee Lubo Michel's assistant convinces him that the ball went out of play seconds before the tackle - and Kolodin stays on the field

The game goes into extra time and Pavlyuchenko hits the bar before Russia appeal in vain for a penalty after Yuri Zhirkov falls in the area

But there is no escape for the Dutch when Arshavin crosses from the left for Dmitri Torbinski to put Russia back in front

And Russia's place in the last four is sealed when the outstanding Arshavin fires their third goal past Van der Sar

The goal sparks while celebrations among the Russians - and enhances Arshavin's growing reputation