Flying Dutch ready to tackle Hiddink's Russia

Netherlands play a revitalised Russia in Euro 2008's third quarter-final on Saturday, with a place in the last four against world champions Italy or Group D winners Spain the prize.

• Marco van Basten’s Netherlands were in tremendous form in the group stage, humbling Italy and 2006 World Cup runners-up France before seeing off Romania with a second-string side.
• Saturday’s match at Basel’s St Jakob stadium (7:45 p.m. British time) has added spice as Russia are coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who was in charge of Netherlands for four years from 1994 and took them to the 1998 World Cup semi-finals.
• “I hope to be a big traitor tomorrow,” Hiddink told a news conference on Friday.
• Russia’s impressive 2-0 victory over Sweden to qualify from Group D has raised the prospect of another match filled with the fast-paced, attacking football that has been a feature of the three-week tournament co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria.
• However, Russia’s players will have had less than three full days to recover from the Sweden game and that could prove a key factor as many of the Dutch first-choice side have had a week to rest and prepare.
• The winners will face Spain or Italy on Thursday in Vienna.
• In Friday’s second quarter-final in Vienna, Turkey beat Croatia 3-1 on penalties in a match of incredible drama to line up a semi-final with Germany in Basel on Wednesday.
• Turkey’s Semih Senturk had equalised to make it 1-1 in the last minute of extra time — just three minutes after Croatia looked to have won it with an Ivan Klasnic header.