CZECH substitute Vladimir Smicer fired an amazing last gasp equaliser at Anfield last night to guide his side into the last eight of Euro `96 and condemn Italy to a dramatic early exit.

Smicer scored 90 seconds from full time to secure a 3-3 draw for the Czechs, who had looked like shooting themselves in the foot by surrendering a 2-0 lead.

Russian substitute Vladimir Beschastnykh looked to have wrecked their hopes with an 84th minute goal which had Italian press men leaping out of their seats. But Dusan Uhrin's side summoned up a last attack and Smicer's finish was low and true.

Goals from Jan Suchoparek after only six minutes and a second from Pave Kuka had the Czechs 2-0 up at the break but Russia wiped that out within nine minutes of the restart through substitute Alexander Mostovoi and Omar Tetradze.

The Czechs had Miroslav Kadlec suspended after picking up two bookings so coach Uhrin brought in Lubos Kubik.

Russian manager Oleg Romantsev left red faced by Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Germany at Old Trafford, rang the changes with five players from that starting line up omitted.

He surprisingly left out Everton winger Andrei Kanchelskis and Chelsea goalkeeper Dmitri Kharine, while he had Viktor Onopko and Yuri Kovtun suspended and Alexander Mostovoi was also dropped.

The Czech contingent in a small Anfield crowd were on their feet to acclaim Suchoparek's sixth minute opener after practically their first attack.

Russian goalkeeper Stanislav Cherchesov pushed away a dangerous free kick from Kubik at the expense of a corner. But he was helpless when Suchoparek met the flag kick from Karel Poborski with a downward header which squeezed beyond the cover of Igor Simuntenkov on the line.

And the match seemed to be all but over as a contest in the 19th minute when the Czechs claimed their second goal with a superb effort. Jiri Nemec caught out the Russians with a pinpoint pass from inside his own half which sought out Kuka, who sped beyond Sergei Gorlukovich before heading over Cherchesov with stunning accuracy.

The Czechs might have wrapped up the points for sure when a superb volley from Michal Hornak crashed back off the crossbar. And they had no luck again seconds before half time when Berger fired in a powerful 30 yard shot from a short free kick which Cherchesov did well to push on to a post and to safety.

But Russia were a changed side after the break as Mostovoi and Vladimir Beschastnykh came on.

Mostovoi headed them level after 48 minutes when he converted from a simple chance and worse was to follow for the Czechs six minutes later. A surging run by Vladislav Radimov was halted by a tackle by Nemec but the ball broke into the path of Tetradze who lashed his shot high beyond Petr Kouba.

Then came that quite amazing finish.