Turkey National Football Team

Manager / Senol Gunes
Appointed / February 2019
Captain / Burak Yilmaz
Top Scorer in Euro 2020 Qualifiers / Cenk Tosun, 5
Top Scorer in Squad (Domestic season 2020-21) / Burak Yilmaz, 16 (Lille, French Ligue 1)
Most Carded in qualifying / Kaan Ayhan, 3
Group: A, vs. Italy (12/06/2021), vs. Wales (17/06/2021), vs. Switzerland (21/06/2021)

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *

Turkey Road to Euro 2020

The reappointment of Turkish legend Senol Gunes back in February of 2019 seems to have breathed a new lease into the National team and they are undoubtedly a team on the up going into the tournament. The Turks have always produced talented and technical squads but have sometimes lacked in other sides of the game such a tactical discipline or temperament which is something Gunes seems to have improved within the team in his most recent spell at the helm.

Turkey were mightily impressive in qualifying for the tournament losing just one of their 10 group H games finishing 2^nd in the group to only World Champions France. Their only defeat in the group came away in Iceland and they actually managed to take 4 points from the two games against the French winning relatively comfortably at home before drawing 1-1 in Paris. They have lost just three of their last twenty international matches which shows you how hard they have become to beat in recent years.

Their Nations league campaign wasn’t quite so successful with the Turks finishing bottom of a closely fought League B group which also contained Hungary, Serbia and Russia. Just 5 points separated top and bottom which shows what a tight group it was and I don’t think Gunes will be too disheartened by that. Not turning draws into wins was ultimately the reason why they finished bottom as Gunes continues to make Turkey a very difficult team to beat.

Turkey Euro 2020 Squad

With a new generation of players based at major European clubs, they now hope to erase the disappointment of their group stage exit at EURO 2016. They have a real mix of experience and young, hungry talent within the squad which should make for a relatively successful tournament for the Turks. Skippered by Burak Yilmaz who despite now being 35 enjoyed quite possibly the most successful season of his career scoring 16 league goals to spearhead Lille to the French title. He will be responsible for guiding and mentoring a relatively youthful looking Turkey squad and his experience will surely prove invaluable.

Goalkeeper

 All four keepers named by Gunes play domestically in the Turkish SuperLig but that shouldn’t shy away from their obvious quality. There is still a decent scrap going on for the number 1 jersey ahead of the summer with Ugurcan Cakir and Altay Bayindir the favourites as things stand. Mert Gunok has been included for his experience but both Cakir and Bayindir are the more talented goalkeepers. Cakir who was named Trabzonspor captain at the start of the season just gone seems to be the most likely to be handed the number 1 jersey. He is technically sound with his feet, an excellent shot-stopper and brings his leadership qualities to the backline. He has been number 1 at club level for the past 4 seasons now and developed into a top level performer, many top clubs across Europe have taken note of his displays including Spurs and Liverpool which further highlights his quality. The goalkeeping position looks to be in safe hands for the Turks this summer.

Defence

 A mightily impressive Turkish backline named by Gunes with almost all of the defenders playing at a very high level across Europe. Centre backs Caglar Soyuncu and Ozan Kabak you may well have heard of with them both regulars in the Premier League this season with their respective clubs sides Leicester City and Liverpool. They are also joined in the centre of defence by the very impressive Merih Demiral of Italian giants Juventus. Nicknamed the ‘Turkish wall’. Strong in the air courtesy of his height, the 22-year-old also boasts skilful feet and mobility. At right back they have Zeki Celik who was a key member of the water-tight Lille backline which as mentioned previously were recently crowned French champions. Left back is undoubtedly the weakest area of the backline with Ridvan Yilmaz (Besiktas) and Umut Meras (Le Havre) relatively inexperienced on the international stage with just 15 caps between the two of them.  Turkey kept clean sheets in all their home qualifiers for EURO 2020 and no doubt this one of the strongest areas of the squad.

Midfield

The midfield, although relatively young in age, has plenty of international experience with many of the players named having plenty of international caps to their names. Okay Yokuslu, who spent last season on loan at West Brom from Celta Vigo, is the unsung hero in defensive midfield with box-to-box pocket dynamo Ozan Tufan by his side. Yusuf Yazici is the creative spark in the number 10 position and possesses a wonderful left foot and his nonchalant style of play has brought about comparisons with a certain Mesut Ozil. Yazici had a brilliant breakthrough season at Lille with his highlight scoring a sensational hattrick against AC Milan at the San Siro in the Europa League this season. Hakan Calhanoglu despite being just 27 is one of the more experienced members of the midfield with 55 caps to his name. He is a set piece specialist and possesses a truly exceptional right foot. Finally there is the talented Cengiz Under who we saw glimpses of last season during his loan spell with Leicester City. He has an impressive 8 goals in his 26 caps to date and his pace adds an extra dimension to this Turkish side.

Attack

The attack is probably the most limited area of this Turkey squad with Burak Yilmaz the only real experienced campaigner. Burak has 28 international goals to his name; the other 4 strikers named have just a combined 7 goals between them. In reality it is all on Burak to deliver the goods from a goalscoring point of view and should he get injured the Turks could have a real problem on their hands. The next best striker in the squad is probably Enes Unal of Getafe who has just two international goals to his name. Gunes will be relying heavily on Burak and hope that the large crop of attacking midfielders within the squad can contribute with goals too. I rate this Turkey squad but I do feel the lack of goals amongst the camp could really hurt them and ultimately will be their downfall the longer the tournament goes on.

Turkey predicted line-up vs. Itlay: Cakir; Celik, Soyuncu, Demiral, Ridvan Yilmaz; Yokuslu; Under, Tufan, Yazici, Calhanoglu; Burak Yilmaz (4-1-4-1)

Turkey Euro 2020 Betting Tips & Predictions

I am tipping the Turks to finish 2^nd in Group A this summer behind only the Italians. They are priced at 1.53 to qualify from the group and given a 3^rd placed finish also offers up a decent chance of qualification I feel this is a very decent price. After facing Italy in Rome in the opening game of the tournament, the Turks have a five day break before facing Wales in Baku and then another five days to rest and prepare for the final group game against Switzerland. In short, Turkey has one of the most favourable playing schedules of any team in the tournament which should offer up a huge advantage in their bid to qualify for the last 16.

I mentioned in the squad section about the importance of Burak Yilmaz from an attacking point of view with him the only proven goalscorer within the squad. He will play in the number 9 and as captain I expect him to play almost all the minutes for his side despite his advancing years. He is priced at evens (2.0) to be top scorer for the Turks which given his importance as the country’s only genuine goal threat I feel is a very generous price.

Predicted stage of elimination: Round of 16 

How to watch Turkey v Wales in Euro 2020

📅   When / Wednesday, 16 June 2021, 17:00 BST
🏟   Where / Baku Olympic Stadium (Baku)
📺   TV / BBC One, ARD, S4C Digital
📱   Online streaming / bet365