Turkey 2-0 Wales: Turkey Secures Late Victory against Resilient Wales in Euro 2024 Qualifying
In a Euro 2024 qualifying match, Turkey managed to secure a 2-0 win against Wales in Samsun, dealing another blow to Wales’ hopes of reaching the tournament. The Turkish victory came in the later stages of the game against the 10-man Welsh team.
Wales’ defense had faced heavy criticism for their performance against Armenia in the previous match, and it seemed like they were caught off guard once again when Chris Mepham unintentionally scored an own goal after nine minutes. However, VAR disallowed the goal for offside.
Despite the setback, Wales had a mostly positive first half until Joe Morrell, one of the two changes made to the team, received a straight red card for a high challenge on Ferdi Kadioglu, as determined by referee Fabio Maresca.
Wales came close to taking the lead unexpectedly when Turkey failed to clear a ball, resulting in Merih Demiral fouling Dan James. From the resulting free-kick, Harry Wilson forced a remarkable save from Mert Gunok.
As the game approached the hour mark, Turkey was still struggling to break down Wales. However, their breakthrough came when Aaron Ramsey was penalized for a handball in the penalty area.
Turkey’s talisman and Inter Milan midfielder, Hakan Calhanoglu, stepped up to take the penalty, but Wales’ goalkeeper, Ward, made an excellent save diving to his right, deflecting the ball away from danger.
Moments later, Turkey thought they had taken the lead once again when Ward failed to deal with a low cross and substitute Umut Nayir scored. However, VAR intervened again and ruled that Nayir had controlled the ball with his arm.
Nayir continued to pose a threat, rising between Wales’ defenders and heading the ball towards the goal. Ward could only push the ball inside his near post, nullifying his earlier penalty heroics.
The final blow came from another substitute, Arda Guler, who curled a superb effort from the edge of the Wales box into the top corner of the net, leaving Ward rooted to the spot.
With this victory, Turkey now holds the top position in Group D, while Wales may have to rely on the play-offs if they want to secure a spot in Euro 2024.
Pressure is mounting on Wales’ manager, Robert Page, following their second red card in two games, after suffering an embarrassing 4-2 defeat against Armenia at home. The trip to Turkey was seen as an opportunity to regain confidence and stability.
Wales displayed more resilience and better organization against a dominant Turkey side that controlled possession for most of the game, even before Morrell’s dismissal. However, defensive lapses were still evident, and without VAR’s intervention, the scoreline could have been more damaging.
There were warning signs early on when Zeki Celik managed to get behind Wales’ defenders, resulting in Williams and Mepham inadvertently scoring an own goal, which was later disallowed for offside.
Turkey had eight shots in the first half, but Wales managed to limit them to long-distance efforts for the most part. Apart from Wilson’s impressive free-kick attempt, Wales spent the entire second half defending due to being one player down.
Despite Calhanoglu’s missed penalty and VAR ruling out Nayir’s goal, Wales seemed poised to secure an unlikely point. However, the Turkish pressure eventually paid off when Nayir’s header slipped past Ward’s weak save, and Guler sealed the victory with a phenomenal shot from outside the box.
Page can find solace in the fact that Wales showed more defensive solidity, but their failure to secure any points after targeting six at the start of the international window is a significant setback.
While Wales suffered another loss, Turkey gained from their successful campaign, as they achieved their goal of claiming six points after their previous away win against Latvia.
Croatia, who competed in the Nations League finals, where they lost to Spain in a penalty shootout, will be pleased with Turkey’s performance in their absence.
Turkey now leads Group D with a three-point advantage after playing four games. Armenia, the surprise package of the group, secured a home win over Latvia earlier on Monday after their victory in Cardiff last week.
Armenia currently sits two points ahead of Croatia and Wales. However, Wales has played two more games than the World Cup semi-finalists.
If Turkey can avoid a fate similar to Wales in their remaining fixture against Armenia, they will be in a favorable position to qualify for Euro 2024.
Line-ups:
Turkey vs. Wales
Home Team: Turkey
Away Team: Wales
Match Stats:
- Possession: Turkey 77%, Wales 23%
- Shots: Turkey 14, Wales 4
- Shots on Target: Turkey 5, Wales 1
- Corners: Turkey 3, Wales 2
- Fouls: Turkey 16, Wales 9
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Euro 2024 qualifying
How did Turkey secure a late victory against Wales in Euro 2024 qualifying?
Turkey secured a late victory against Wales in Euro 2024 qualifying by capitalizing on their numerical advantage after Joe Morrell’s red card. Despite Wales’ resilience, Turkey managed to break through with goals from Umut Nayir and Arda Guler, securing a 2-0 win.
What impact does this result have on Wales’ chances of reaching Euro 2024?
This result deals another blow to Wales’ hopes of reaching Euro 2024. With the loss against Turkey, Wales could potentially be facing the play-offs as their chances of direct qualification are diminishing. The pressure is mounting on Wales and their manager, Robert Page, to turn things around.
How did Wales perform defensively in the match?
Wales displayed more resilience and better organization defensively compared to their previous match against Armenia. However, lapses in concentration were still evident, and they were fortunate that VAR disallowed some goals that could have made the scoreline more damaging. Overall, while improvements were seen, there is room for further defensive stability.
Who were the key players for Turkey in this match?
Two key players for Turkey in this match were Umut Nayir and Hakan Calhanoglu. Nayir was involved in several goal-scoring opportunities, although one of his goals was ruled out by VAR. Calhanoglu, the Inter Milan midfielder, took a penalty that was saved by Wales’ goalkeeper. Their contributions were crucial in securing the victory for Turkey.
More about Euro 2024 qualifying
- Euro 2024 Qualification
- Turkey National Football Team
- Wales National Football Team
- VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in Football
- Robert Page – Wales Manager
- Euro 2024 Tournament
- Football Play-offs
- UEFA International Match Calendar
