Euro 2024: Turkey and Portugal go head-to-head in battle for Group F supremacy.
In a showdown set to determine the hierarchy in Group F, Turkey looks to extend their momentum against a resurgent Portugal as both teams vie for a place in the knockout stage at UEFA Euro.
Turkey
Turkey secured a 3-1 victory over Georgia in their opening match, a game marked by intense tensions between fans even before the kickoff. Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu sealed the win with a last-minute goal, capitalizing on an empty net as Georgia pushed forward.
Reflecting on the match, Abdülkerim Bardakcı noted, "We played well, but we gave away clear chances in defence." He added that teams sometimes "psychologically retreat to protect a lead." This victory marked the end of a five-game winless streak for Turkey [LLDLW].
Under Vincenzo Montella, Turkey aims to secure back-to-back wins to advance with Spain and Germany into the knockout phase. They currently lead Group F with three points [GD +2].
This will be Turkey’s fourth encounter with Portugal at UEFA Euro. Historically, Turkey has struggled against Portugal, suffering three consecutive losses and winning only two out of seven meetings [2W, 0D, 7L].
For the upcoming, highly anticipated Saturday evening match, Turkey is expected to field a 4—2—3—1 formation with Yilmaz leading the attack. İrfan Can Kahveci, who missed the first game, remains a doubt as he only participated in light training sessions.
Portugal
Portugal's comeback 2-1 win over Czechia places them in second position in Group F, just below Turkey. An own goal by Robin Hranáč in the 69th minute turned the tide, rescuing Portugal after they had fallen behind. Panic set in briefly, but substitute Francisco Conceição, on the pitch for barely two minutes, clinched the victory in stoppage time.
Saturday's game poses a much tougher challenge for the one-time European Champions, having won the title in 2016. "We're expecting a completely different game. Türkiye have better players than Czechia, and they will want a different kind of match," noted Diogo Jota, who came off the bench in the Czechia game.
Jota added, "If we can impose our game as we did against the Czechs, it could go even better because Türkiye aren't used to defending in a low block." With memories of crashing out in the group stage during the previous tournament due to a 1-0 defeat to Belgium, Portugal are eager to avoid a similar fate.
"If that happens, we can try to come away with the three points and qualification," Jota continued. Against Turkey, a formation of 3-4-3 with Rafael Leão, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Bernardo Silva in attack is anticipated.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.