UEFA Nations League: Turkey Have to Watch Out for Vengeful Wales

Wales vs Turkey

Wales will kick off their UEFA Nations League campaign with a home game against Turkey at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday, with getting a measure of revenge being the one thing on their minds.

The last time these two nations were in the same group was in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, where Turkey and Croatia made it to Germany for taking the top two spots in Group D, with Wales having to go through a gauntlet since they finished third.

Wales subsequently lost their play-off match against Poland in heartbreaking fashion (via penalties), dashing their Euro 2024 hopes. On the other hand, Turkey went as far as the quarter-finals, eventually losing to the Netherlands.

This reason alone makes this contest compelling, and SBOTOP is here to bring you the action.

 

Talking Points

Johnson has to take over for Wales

Wales have been finding their new talisman since Gareth Bale announced his retirement from football last year. The former Real Madrid winger is a tough act to follow since he is the Cymru’s all-time leading scorer and caps leader (41 goals in 111 appearances).

With Craig Bellamy, who replaced Rob Page in July, at the helm, the former national team captain faces the task of finding one from within.

A quick look at their roster would tell you that Brennan Johnson is likely to take over the offencive cudgels for the Cymru. The Tottenham forward emerged as one of the Premier League’s rising stars last season.

Brennan Johnson started 2023-24 on the bench under manager Ange Postecoglou, but he worked his way into the starting XI. He finished the campaign with five league goals and a team-leading 10 assists.

The 23-year-old will hope to return to the scoring column for Wales on Friday, and he’ll likely be joined by Kieffer Moore, Harry Wilson, Aaron Ramsey, Ethan Ampadu, Chris Mepham, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams, Connor Roberts, Ben Davies, and goalkeeper Danny Ward in the starting XI.

 

Turkey’s youngsters can take the spotlight

Turkey proved to be a force to be reckoned with in Euro 2024 when they made it to the quarter-finals. Head coach Vincenzo Montella deserves praise for getting the best out of his players.

The Crescent Stars have a balanced squad with a unique mix of youngsters and grizzled veterans. Hakan Calhanoglu is currently the most established member in the national team roster with 19 goals in 90 caps, and he’ll have his pick of the litter between his young forwards.

Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz have just turned 19, but they have already combined for three goals in 24 caps. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Can Uzun and SC Freiburg’s Eren Dinkci are also intriguing talents, and they’ll fight for their minutes this international break.

Defending is also a strong suit for Turkey because of their solid backline. The evergreen Mert Gunok will likely man between the sticks, and he’ll be covered by Caglar Soyuncu, Merih Demiral, Samet Akaydin, and Kaan Ayhan.

 

History

Friday marks the 10^th meeting between Wales and Turkey across all competitions. The Cymru have the slight edge in the overall head-to-heads with four wins, whereas the Crescent Stars have won three times and drawn twice.

The hosts are winless in their last two matches against Turkey, losing 2-0 in their first group stage match in June 2023 and drawing 1-1 in the reverse fixture in November 2023, causing them to crash out.

Wales will aim to qualify for the World Cup for the second consecutive time and third overall. In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Cymru finished at the bottom of Group B with two defeats and one draw.

Turkey will also aim to qualify for the third time ever in the World Cup. Their last appearance in the quadrennial meet was in 2002, when they finished third.

 

Betting Tip

The UEFA Nations League 2024 odds predict a close fight on Friday. Because they’re playing at home, Wales were given the slight edge at 2.49, but Turkey aren’t far behind at 2.70, and a draw is at 3.03 in the 1X2 market.

Since this match is going to be tightly contested, we might not see many UEFA Nations League 2024 highlights, making alternatives like Under 2.00 at 2.20, Under 2.25 at 1.85, and Total Goal 0-1 at 2.57 worth considering besides our recommended bet.

For correct scorelines, 1-0 for Turkey at 7.20 is a solid choice, while fans at the Cardiff City Stadium might want to go for 1-0 in their favour at 6.80.

   

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