Wales need a win over Turkey and hope Croatia drop points in Euro 2024 qualifying on Tuesday. The Dragons’ fate is sealed after a stalemate in Armenia over the weekend. In the meantime, their form guests defeated Germany in a friendly match. They are officially the winners of the group.
Preview (Wales vs. Turkey)
Despite overcoming an early goal conceded in Yerevan and a few more scares along the way, Wales needs to win all of their midweek games to have any hope of automatically qualifying for the Euros in 2019. This is because of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Armenia. As a result, the Dragons dropped two points behind the top two. They are now hoping that Croatia make a mistake at home against Armenia. If not, even a Welsh victory over Turkey will only guarantee a spot in the March playoffs. It is a spot that is virtually certain based on their UEFA Nations League standing.
Triumphs over the lowest Rob Page’s team made progress last month toward a third consecutive berth at the European Championship with victories against Latvia and Croatia, but a lackluster showing over the weekend cast doubt on their chances of competing in the competition next summer. It may now be necessary to take a further detour to purchase their ticket to Germany. However, getting to the fourth major finals out of five is still very much a possibility. However, nothing has been finalized as of yet.
The game ended in a five-goal thriller, with Yusuf Sari’s penalty shot separating the teams. The Germans had seized the lead early on, but Ferdi Kadioglu and Juventus rookie Kenan Yildiz both produced stunning finishes. Shortly after the break, Niclas Fullkrug tied the score. Sari, the substitute, beat Kevin Trapp with his penalty kick to seal the win. After losing in the group stage of their previous two tournaments, Turkey will seek to make a return trip to Berlin for the European Championship final the following summer. However, their first priority for now is to defeat Wales once again to complete their qualification requirements.
Team News
Rob Page would be inclined to make adjustments following a lackluster showing on a heavy pitch in Yerevan, but his starting lineup for Wales should remain the same despite the short time span between matches. However, after missing October’s training due to a hamstring injury and making his Dragons debut as a substitute on Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur striker Brendan Johnson might be promoted off the bench. David Brooks or Harry Wilson would most likely have to make way. Since Aaron Ramsey is out again, Ben Davies, Johnson’s Spurs colleague, will continue to wear the captain’s armband. Tom Lockyer of Luton Town will be lining up in the hosts’ back three. Chris Mepham will be serving a suspension due to accumulated bookings.
Following the bench starts for players like Salih Ozcan, Kem Akturkoglu, and Baris Alper Yilmaz during their victory over Germany, Turkey is expected to reorganize their lineup. Having made a significant impact on the Crescent-Stars during his maiden senior appearance, German-born youngster Kenan Yildiz is hoping to stay on the left wing. Real Madrid wonderkid Arda Guler is still out due to injury. Emre Akbaba, a midfielder for Adana Demirspor, may also start again in Cardiff in lieu of captain Hakan Calhanoglu, who has been in Italy due to flu-like symptoms.
Wales 1 – 2 Turkey
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