06/22/2024
In an exciting match, the Portuguese team, led by Roberto Martínez, faced Turkey with the firm intention of securing their place in the round of 16 of the Euro Cup in Germany.
From the beginning, Portugal showed their intention to dominate the match. The absence of Arda Güler in the Turkish team due to physical discomfort was felt from the first moment, since the Portuguese began to frequent the area defended by Altay Bayindir. The combination between Rafael Leao and Nuno Mendes on the left side proved to be a constant threat to the Turkish defence.
Kerem Aktürkoglu, in an attempt to capitalize on a mistake by Joao Cancelo, came close to opening the scoring for Turkey. However, Cancelo, despite his momentary disconnection, managed to avoid a mistake similar to the one he had with FC Barcelona against PSG and Real Madrid.
Portugal’s persistence paid off when Rafael Leao and Nuno Mendes teamed up brilliantly on the left flank. The play culminated with a precise definition by Bernardo Silva, who made no mistake in front of the goal, marking the 0-1 at Signal Iduna Park. This opening goal put Portugal in control of the match and increased the pressure on the team led by Vincenzo Montella.
Türkiye’s defensive nonsense
Portugal’s second goal came shortly after, the result of a miscommunication in the Turkish defense. Samet Akaydin attempted a loan to goalkeeper Bayindir, who had abandoned his goal in an inexplicable movement. The ball ended up in the back of the net, increasing the Portuguese lead to 0-2 and leaving Turkey in an even more complicated situation.
Diego Costa, the Portuguese goalkeeper, was crucial in keeping a clean sheet with a wonderful save that closed any attempt at a comeback by Turkey. The icing on the cake came with the generosity of Cristiano Ronaldo, who assisted Bruno Fernandes so that he scored the final 0-3. With this resounding victory, Portugal secured its place in the round of 16 of Euro 2024.
