Turkiye and Portugal can secure their spot in the knockout round with a win when they square up against each other in a Group F clash on Saturday.
Westfalenstadion in Dortmund will play host to a high-voltage encounter between Turkiye and Portugal. Both teams have won their opening fixtures of UEFA Euro 2024 and will now battle for the top spot in Group F as they look to book a place in the knockout stage.
Turkiye hardly had any problems going up against Georgia. While the opposition did have a decent share of the ball and even created a few chances, they could not get the better of Vincenzo Montella’s team. It was an easy 3-1 win, where Real Madrid whizkid Arda Guler stole the show with a sensational striker from outside the box.
The home team arrived at the Euro 2024 on the back of a five-match winless run and despite that, they have managed to have a great start. But, now they have a tough challenge at their hands as they face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
The 2016 champions have a star-studded squad that is expected to go a long way in the tournament. The game against Czechia was expected to be an easy outing for them. However, it did not turn out that way. Despite having the majority of the ball, they were not at their best in the final third.
While they did end up winning at the end thanks to an injury-time goal by Francisco Conceicao, Portugal have to do much better against a well-drilled Turkiye team if they want to secure all three points again, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Turkiye
Vincenzo Montella is unlikely to make any major changes to the XI that featured against Georgia. While Merih Demiral will push for a place in the starting XI, he might have to continue on the bench for this one.
They will most likely stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mert Gunok will be in goal. Mert Muldur and Ferdi Kadioglu will feature as the full-backs for Turkiye, while Samet Akaydin will pair up with Abdulkerim Bardakci in the heart of the defence.
The back four will look to keep things tight at the back against a star-studded Portuguese attack. They will receive some support from their midfielders Salih Ozcan and Hakan Calhanoglu, who will form the double pivot in front of the back line.
They will look to shield the defenders as well as create a strong base to build their attack on. Teenage sensations Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz will feature on the flanks for them, while Orkun Kokcu will be the number 10 behind Baris Alper Yilmaz, who will lead the line for Turkiye against Portugal.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gunok; Muldur, Akaydin, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Ozcan, Calhanoglu; Guler, Kokcu, Yildiz; Yilmaz
Portugal
Roberto Martinez does not really have any injury concerns to worry about. He has a full-strength squad at his disposal but is unlikely to make any major changes to the XI that started in their last outing.
The Seleccao will stick to the 3-4-3 formation, where Diogo Costa will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Pepe, Ruben Dias and Nuno Mendes. They will look to keep it tight and will have the support of wing-backs Joao Cancelo and Diogo Dalot.
In the centre of the park, Bruno Fernandes will partner with Vitinha, who had a sensational game last time out. They will look to ensure Portugal dominate the proceedings. In attack, Bernardo Silva will feature on the right flank, while Rafael Leao will start on the left. Portugal’s all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo will spearhead the attack against Turkiye.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Costa; Pepe, Dias, Mendes; Dalot, Fernandes, Vitinha, Cancelo; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Leao
Key Stats
- Turkiye had lost their opening game at their previous five European Championship appearances before beating Georgia last time out.
- Portugal have only kept one clean sheet in their last six international matches.
- Vincenzo Montella’s team have lost only two out of their last 15 competitive games.
- Turkiye entered the Euro 2024 on the back of a five-match winless run but they have started off with a win.
- Portugal have won each of their last six competitive meetings against Turkiye.
Player to Watch
Bernardo Silva
Silva has been a sensational player at the club level. He has done wonders for Manchester City over the years but has not been able to deliver in the Portugal shirt that consistently. While he has had a few star performances, the 29-year-old hasn’t lived up to the expectations of the fans and he will be eager to add to his tally of 21 goal contributions from last season when Portugal squares up against Turkiye.
Prediction
Turkiye 1-3 Portugal
Turkiye produced a statement win in their opening fixture at Euro 2024, and they do have a high-quality squad with some exceptionally-talented young players. But, going up against Portugal won’t be as easy as it was against Georgia.
Roberto Martinez has one of the best squads at the tournament and on the basis of their form as well as the kind of dominance they had during the qualifying stage, Portugal should come out on top here. However, Turkiye will give the Seleccao a run for their money before succumbing to them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the Cristiano Ronaldo-led team.
