It promises to be a belter in Dortmund on Saturday evening when Turkey and Portugal meet in Group F at Euro 2024.
Turkey were part of a barnstorming affair with Georgia on Matchday 1, scoring two pearlers and a breakaway goal at the last to win 3-1. It was a contest that will live long in the memory for not only both sets of supporters, but anyone who watched the chaos unfold at Signal Iduna Park.
Turkey's triumph stands them in good stead in Group F and they head into their second group game full of confidence. As impressive as Georgia were, Portugal represent a considerable step-up in quality.
Roberto Martinez's side were forced to work hard for their three points on Matchday 1, with a stubborn Czechia taking a second-half lead. However, an own goal and a late strike from substitute Sergio Conceicao ensured Portugal's campaign got off to a winning start.
Here's 90min's guide to the Euro 2024 Group F clash between Turkey and Portugal.
Turkey vs Portugal H2H Record (Last Five Games)
Current form
Turkey | Portugal |
|---|---|
Turkey 3-1 Georgia - 17/06/24 | Portugal 2-1 Czechia - 17/06/24 |
Poland 2-1 Turkey - 10/06/24 | Portugal 3-0 Republic of Ireland - 11/06/24 |
Italy 0-0 Turkey - 04/06/24 | Portugal 1-2 Croatia - 08/06/24 |
Austria 6-1 Turkey - 26/03/24 | Portugal 4-2 Finland - 04/06/24 |
Hungary 1-0 Turkey - 22/03/24 | Slovenia 2-0 Portugal - 26/03/24 |
Country | TV channel / live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | ITV1, ITVX, STV, STV Player |
United States | fuboTV, Sling, Foxsports.com, ViX, FOX Sports App, FOX Network, SiriusXM FC |
Canada | TV App, VIVA, TVA+, TSN4, TVA Sports, CTV, TSN1, TLN |
Irfan Kahveci is nursing a muscle injury and is a doubt for Saturday's game but Vincenzo Montella doesn't have any other fitness concerns.
Yusuf Yazici was taken ill before the Georgia victory but the Lille playmaker was fit enough to earn minutes off the bench and will be available this weekend.
Montella could name an unchanged team from Monday's win, with youngsters Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz spearheading Turkey's attack again.
Turkey predicted lineup vs Portugal (4-2-3-1): Gunok; Muldur, Akaydin, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Ayhan; Guler, Kokcu, Yildiz; Yilmaz.
Martinez has a wealth of talent at his disposal, especially in forward areas, and finding a balance has so far been a difficult task.
The manager does not yet know his best team, so more tinkering to the Portugal lineup is expected for Saturday's game. While Martinez has his staples such as Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Leao, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva could all drop out of the starting XI against Turkey.
Pedro Neto, Goncalo Inacio and Joao Palhinha are among the players on the fringes hoping for starts.
Portugal predicted lineup vs Turkey (3-4-2-1): Costa; Dias, Pepe, Inacio; Dalot, Vitinha, Palhinha, Mendes; Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo.
Portugal's balance was off on Matchday 1, yet they still asserted an impressive amount of control over Czechia and were deserving winners in the end. They'll get better as the tournament progresses, with Martinez unlikely to stick with the personnel from Monday's game.
Their talent is just absurd and good enough to win any match at this tournament. Turkey's settled defence was far from impenetrable against Georgia and Portugal should have plenty of joy if their opponents opt against sitting deep.
Turkey's success going forward will depend on Martinez's midfield selection, although the spritely youngsters at Montella's disposal should give Portugal problems no matter who's deployed.
With Signal Iduna Park set to be rocking in Turkey's favour again, Portugal will undoubtedly encounter a few issues and this could be a goal-fest. The favourites may have to rely on their bench to get over the line.