Turkey took on Wales in Baku, Azerbaijan for the opener of Match Day 2 in the Euro 2020 tournament.
The former came looking for a win after their defeat to Italy on Friday. In order to secure qualification, the Turks needed to take advantage of Wales’ weak defence.
From kick off, Turkey seemed a lot better than they did last week, pressing immensely in the opening minutes and giving Wales a hard time.
Possession-wise, both sides seemed to mirror each other throughout the game as one team would press hard going forward and the response would be a lightning-quick counterattack by the other.
Wales had their first solid chance in the sixth minute as Bale slipped in the ball to Aaron Ramsey, who took a shot near post. The chance was saved by the Turkey keeper Çakir and the ball went out for a corner.
A few minutes later, Turkey almost made a breakthrough from a set piece. Roma’s Cengiz Ünder cut the ball back to captain Burak Yilmaz, whose low-shot took a deflection for a corner.
Manchester United’s Daniel James was playing well throughout the match for Wales. His pace on the counter attack caused Turkey a lot of trouble but sadly he wasn’t able to successfully convert chances.
Almost 25-minutes in, Ramsey got another chance to provide the opener for the match. From 15-yards out in clear space, the former Arsenal man blasted the ball over the Turkish net. An offside flag went up eventually.
Third time’s the charm. Ramsey finally got his goal in the closing minutes of the first half.
Wales skipper Gareth Bale sent a lovely ball into the box for Ramsey to take on his chest and then score a goal past Çakir.
The first half ended 1-0 to the Dragons as both sides looked really strong on the ball.
Second Half
The second half was just as intense as the first with Turkey and Wales continuously challenging each other on the counter.
Yilmaz looked the most threatening in the opening minutes of the second half with the roar of Turkish fans motivating him up front. The Lille striker had some great chances going forward but just couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net.
On the hour-mark, Wales were awarded a penalty as Bale went down just inside the Turkish box. Unfortunately for Cymru, their captain blasted the penalty kick above the crossbar and the game still remained 1-0.
Pressure from both sides just kept piling on until the last minute. With six minutes of extra time added on, Turkey was desperate for an equaliser to get their hopes up for qualification.
Wales finally secured their victory in the 95th minute. Swansea defender Connor Roberts scored passed a crowded Turkish box after Bale fed him a cut-back.
The visitors secured a crucial three-points which see them closer to the knockout stages.
Source of Image – UEFA EURO 2020 via Twitter
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