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Match time and venue:
June 17th, 22:00, at the "Allianz Riviera" stadium. The match will be broadcasted live on LRT television.
Tournament situation:
The Spanish national team only broke the Czech defense at the end of the first match but managed to score three points. After the loss to Croatia, the Turkish national team has nowhere else to turn and will have to try to secure at least one point this evening.
Team news:
Despite difficult first matches, there are no changes in the composition of the Spanish national team. In Vicente Del Bosque's team, no player is injured, so the Spaniard can choose from all 23 players in the national team.
Meanwhile, there should be changes in the composition of the Turkish national team. However, the most criticized representative of Barcelona, Arda Turan, is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup. After an unsuccessful first match, the player most likely to lose his place in the starting lineup is Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun.
Coaches' comments:
Vicente Del Bosque (Spain): "The most important thing is that we fought for three points in the first match, so we could prepare for this game without dwelling too much on the first match. We are preparing for the Turks to make these matches as challenging as possible for us. They are a good team that plays good football and has excellent players, and we will have to be prepared for the difficulties they can pose to us.
I don't think they are the type of team that will just sit back and let us take the initiative - they have courageous players, and they will surely try to fight for ball control. I know well the style of the Turkish national team, and I don't think they will give up easily - they are good enough to handle what we throw at them. I have no doubt that these matches will be very difficult."
Fatih Terim (Turkey): "I have never been the type of coach who tells players to sit back and kick the ball as far as possible. Against Spain, you can't go out and play without trying to play football yourself. If you just defend and try not to give them opportunities, eventually they will create a chance to score. We need to play our game.
In the first match, we looked like a club, not a national team. That disappointed all of us. We didn't react at all to conceding a goal, which is not a good sign. Against Spain, we need to look like the Turkish national team. Make no mistake - these matches will be different."
Players to watch:
Spain: Alvaro Morata
Although there were talks before the championship about which player Vicente Del Bosque would field in the center forward position, in the first match, these duties were entrusted to Alvaro Morata. The 23-year-old player remained goalless, and the winning strike was made by Pique when Morata was on the bench. Although it is unlikely that the national team coach will change the forward after the first matches, if Morata looks ineffective in these matches and remains goalless, and the Spanish national team struggles to create attacks in the opponents' half, he will be the main contender to give way to another player in the starting lineup.
Turkey: Arda Turan
The leader of the national team was not himself in the first match, and his poor performance is best reflected in the fact that at crucial moments, when the team was trying to equalize the score, he was substituted. For Turkey to succeed against Spain in this championship and throughout, Turan cannot continue to play in the same manner. After apologizing for his poor performance in the first match, the leader of the Turkish national team hopes to show a completely different performance.
Predicted lineups:
Spain: De Gea; Juanfran, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets; Silva, Fabregas, Iniesta, Nolito; Morata.
Turkey: Volkan Babacan; Gokhan Gonul, Semih Kaya, Hakan Balta, Caner Erkin; Mehmet Topal, Selcuk Inan, Oguzhan Ozyakup; Volkan Sen, Hakan Calhanoglu, Arda Turan.
What the specialists predict:
Reymundas Tomayo ("Yibada"): "Turkey is a dangerous team even for Spain, especially considering that Vicente Del Bosque's proteges did not show their best football in the first matches. However, the Turks looked even worse, and Spain should not spare them, and we will see the first blowout in the championship. Spain 3 - 0 Turkey."
Paul Merson ("Sky Sports"): "Another typical Spanish match awaits us. In the first game, probably no one was surprised to see one pass following another. In the end, they managed to break the Czechs, and I expect something similar in the match against Turkey. I can't imagine the Spaniards crushing their opponents because they simply don't play in that style. The match will be tough, and Turkey can hope for a point, especially when Spain doesn't have to win this match after their first victory. Still, I predict a victory for Spain. Spain 1 - 0 Turkey."
Dave Blackmore ("Outside 90"): "Both teams will fight tooth and nail for the win, but this match could end just like the matches of the first round. The Turks should try to play a similar game to the Czech national team. However, they have more attacking potential in their squad, so attacking, they can cause more problems for the Spaniards. However, I think the Spaniards will keep possession of the ball almost throughout the match, and eventually they will wear down and surpass the Turkish national team. Spain 1 - 0 Turkey."
Interesting facts:
In over ten matches against each other, Turkey defeated the Spanish national team only once (4 draws, 5 losses). They achieved this victory over 60 years ago - in 1954;
In their last six matches against the Turks, the Spaniards conceded a goal only once, and that happened in their last meeting, which Spain won 2-1;
These will be the first matches between these national teams in the final stage of the championship;
The Spanish national team won the last two European Championships, and the last time the tournament took place in France, they reached the final, where they lost to the hosts;
Spain has not conceded a goal in European Championships for 600 minutes in a row - a historic record for this competition;
In their 13 matches in European Championships, the Turks won only three matches (2 draws, 8 losses). In these matches, they kept their goal "dry" only twice;
With each attempt in European Championships, the Turks improve their performance - in 1996, they were eliminated after the group stage, in 2000, they reached the quarterfinals, and in 2008, they made it to the semifinals of the competition;
Gerard Pique scored his first goal for the national team against the Turks. In the last round, the defender scored his first goal in the final stage of the championship.
