Turkey (TUR) and Wales (WAL) will meet for the first time since 1997 in a key Group A fixture in Euro 2020. After suffering a crushing defeat against Italy in the tournament opener, Turkey will have to beat Gareth Bale and Co to keep their round of 16 hopes alive. Kieffer Moore’s goal helped Wales snatch a point against Switzerland in their opening game. The Euro 2016 semi-finalists cannot afford to drop points as they face Italy in their final group stage fixture.
It was a game to forget for Turkey as they let Italy dominate them and were lucky not to concede more than three goals. The introduction of Cengiz Under after the break brought optimism among Turkey fans, but veteran Burak Yilmaz cut a lone figure up front. The centre-back duo Merih Demiral and Caglar Soyuncu will hope to plug the holes at the back and deliver a solid performance.
Wales head coach Rob Page would have been pleased with how his boys responded after going behind against Switzerland. Moore proved his worth after heading home the equalizer. If not for Yann Sommer’s fantastic save, the 28-year-old could have scored in the first half itself. Also, Daniel James impressed with his pace and crosses, and skipper Bale will be hoping to find his rhythm against Turkey.
Head-to-Head
Played: 6
TUR won: 2
WAL won: 3
Drawn: 1
Top Five Fantasy Points scorers (last match)
TUR: Cakir U (5.5 pts), H Calhanoglu (3.5 pts), M Zeki Celik (3 pts), O Yokuslu (3 pts), O Tufan (2.5 pts)
WAL: K Moore (10.5 pts), J Morrell (8 pts), D Ward (4.5 pts), A Ramsey (3.5 pts), C Mepham (3.5 pts)
Stats & Facts
- J Morrell (MID) picked up an assist against Switzerland in the Euro 2020 Group A match
- Cakir U (GK) made six saves against Italy in the Euro 2020 Group A match
- C Soyuncu (DEF) & M Demiral (DEF) completed more than 40 passes against Italy in the Euro 2020 Group A match
- K Moore (FOR) had two shots on target against Switzerland in the Euro 2020 Group A match
- A total of ten goals scored in the last meeting both teams as Turkey beat Wales 6-4 in the 1998 World Cup qualifier
Injuries/Suspensions
TUR: none
WAL: none
Playing 11
TUR (possible): Cakir U; M Zeki Celik, M Demiral, C Soyuncu, C Umut Meras; K Ayhan, O Tufan, H Calhanoglu, I Can Kahveci, C Under; B Yilmaz
WAL (possible): D Ward; C Roberts, C Mepham, J Rodon, B Davies; J Morrell, J Allen; G Bale, A Ramsey, D James; K Moore
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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