Preview: Wales vs Turkey
- Soccer News 2024/09/05 06:56
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After a dismal group-stage exit at Qatar 2022, Wales seemed to have lost their way, finishing bottom of their last Nations League group with just one point from six games and then failing to qualify for the European Championship.
After losing on penalties to Poland in the Euro 2024 play-offs, former boss Rob Page's reign came to an ignominious end with some embarrassing results in his team's summer friendlies.
After a humiliating goalless draw with Gibraltar, Page's tenure as Wales boss came to an end following a 4-0 defeat to Slovakia, and Craig Bellamy was appointed in July despite having no previous managerial experience.
The former Newcastle United striker, who missed out on a major finals appearance during a 78-cap Wales career, has set his sights on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, but first he has to face a double-header to kick off a new Nations League campaign.
The Dragons travel to Montenegro on Monday for their second Group 4 fixture in as many days, with Iceland their other opponents in the battle for promotion back to the top flight - or perhaps to avoid relegation.
Under UEFA's new format, the group winners go straight up, while second place secures a promotion play-off and third a relegation play-off, with bottom-placed teams automatically relegated to League C.
So the stakes are high when Turkey return to the Welsh capital, where head coach Vincenzo Montella will see a new man in the dugout but some familiar faces elsewhere.
Wales and Turkey have met in each of the last two Euro qualifiers, with the Crescent Stars recording two wins and one defeat in those four games - most recently a 1-1 draw in Cardiff less than 10 months ago.
Montella's men are fresh from a thrilling adventure at the Euros, where an eventful escape from the group phase was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Austria in the last 16 to take the perennial dark horses into the latter stages.
However, a 2-1 quarter-final defeat to the Netherlands saw the Turks, who had enjoyed huge support from the German expatriate community, sent home.
Montella has stayed on to oversee qualification for the next World Cup, and he has a talented crop of strikers to help him: Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler both defied their tender years at Euro 2024, and the pair are set to star in this season's Nations League.
Wales possible starting lineup:
Ward; Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Roberts, James, Ampadu, Williams; Ramsey, Johnson; Moore
Turkey possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Muldur, Ayhan, Bardakci, Elmali; Yokuslu, Calhanoglu; Yildiz, Kokcu, Guler; B. Yilmaz
Prediction:Wales 1-2 Turkey
Wales VS Turkey stream and TV listing
International:Holasports
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