Euro 2008 Preview : Turkey
Turkey makes it return to European competition after missing out on Euro 2004.
Highlites of Turkey 4-1 road victory over Greece in Euro 2008 Qualifying.
I always find a soft spot for teams that feature players that are based in their domestic league. While the marquee players such as Nihat, Tuncay and the Altıntop twins play outside of Turkey. The core of this team is built of players that feature for Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.
While nothing stands out about this Turkey team head coach Fatih Terim knows how to put a team together. The starting eleven each know their role. A worry however going into Euro 2008 will be the back line. Only Emre Aşık will come into Euro 2008 with over 20 caps. Will the inexperience of not only playing on the big stage but also playing together as a group come into play sometime during this competition?
Much of the offensive attack will go through Hamit Altıntop who will need to use his pace to break down defenders in order to cross the ball into the box. Players like Tuncay who had a fine season at Middlesbrough will also be counted on for support up front.
Key Players – Nihat
Teams will need to know where Nihat is at all times if they wish to keep a clean sheet. Eighteen goals in La Liga will do that for a player. If Turkey are to relive the magic of World Cup 2002 they need Nihat to duplicate his Villarreal form onto the European stage.
Group A Outlook.
Turkey just may be the type of team to watch out for come Euro 2008. They are well coached so Turkey should come into Euro 2008 quite prepared for whatever lies ahead. Sometimes its a razor edge that determines success from failure in these tournaments. Turkey are the type of team that won’t give anything away. They will battle for 90 minutes and generally avoid making a costly mistake along the way. Avoiding such mistakes can turn losses into draws and they have enough quality up front to turn draws into wins.
Sinnacle Prediction 1st