EFE. Turkey Y Gales They will measure forces this Wednesday, June 16 from 11:00 Peruvian time (16:00 GMT) for the second day of group A of the Euro 2021. This meeting will take place at the Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan. Follow Turkey vs Wales LIVE HERE.
You can follow the match corresponding to group A of the Euro 2021 live by DirecTV Sports, on DirecTV channel 610 and 1610 HD. Both teams will meet for the first time since an incredible qualifying match for the World Cup in France 98 that ended with a spectacular 6-4 in favor of the Ottoman team, now needed as their rival, in their second match of the European Championship, to add their first victory.
Almost a quarter of a century ago, on August 20, 1997 in Istanbul, both teams held a meeting to remember, defined by a poker game by the legendary Hakan Sukur in which Wales, who came to lose 2-0, came back to 2-3 and 3-4 to end up falling victim to the most illustrious gunner in the history of the Ottoman team.
Senol Gunes and Robert Page were the protagonists of that duel. The current Turkish coach was then the goalkeeper and Robert Page, who made his international debut in the first leg at Wrexham, also played in the Istanbul match.
Now they meet again in distant Baku with the baton of both teams. Then neither of the two teams managed to reach the final phase. The start to this edition has not been promising for Turkey and has left some doubt in Wales.
The defeat in the opening match in Rome against Italy (3-0) revealed notable shortcomings in the Ottoman team, which in the qualifying phase had presented the best defensive balance together with Belgium after conceding only three goals and keeping a clean sheet in eight games.
Turkey is, therefore, more than obliged to react, or as Senol Gunes said to his pupils in the Roman Olympic vestario, to start the Eurocup at the Baku Olympiad. The coach urged his players to forget the match, clear their minds and take this second commitment as the first of the tournament.
Wales didn’t shine at all. During many phases she was outmatched by Switzerland, but had arrests to avoid defeat with a goal from Kieffer Moore with a quarter of an hour remaining. His ability not to give up was his main virtue in a discreet and gray match for his great star, Gareth Bale, lost in the first half and somewhat more participatory in the second. The point has been considered by the ‘red dragons’ squad as very positive.
If Turkey does not want to fall back in the first phase and Wales intends to get closer to the team that in the last edition of the Eurocup reached the semifinals, victory is an imperative for both to appear on the last day of the group stage with clear options.
Senol Gunes could modify his eleven in search of finding the best version of his team, and thus introduce men like Cengiz Under, Irfan Can Kahveci, Ozan Kabak and Kaan Ayhan, and focus more on the position of Hakan Çalhanoglu.
Page finished much more satisfied with the performance of his team and praised the work of the entire block, including Manchester United winger Dan James, who showed his displeasure when he was replaced because the coach considered that he could not hold on anymore physically.
However, the Welsh coach has hinted at the possibility of introducing some other changes for the second game given the accumulation of games in a few days and even modify the system somewhat, with the option of raising a rear with three centrals, since “Turkey is a different kind of team and has a different way of playing“.
Possible lineups:
Turkey: Ugurcan Cakir; Zeki Celik, Ozan Kabak, Caglar Soyuncu, Umut Meras; Irfan Can Kahveci, Kaan Ayghan, Ozan Tufan, Hakan Calhanoglu, Cengiz Under; by Burak Yilmaz
Gales: Ward; Roberts, Rodon, B. Davies, Neco Williams; Allen, Ampadu; Bale, Ramsey, James; y Moore.
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