After a last-gasp win over the Czech Republic in their opening match, Spain will look to have a tighter grip of the top spot in Group D. Standing in their way is Turkey, who are in desperate need of a victory to stay alive in the tournament. Read on for more about this blockbuster matchup. While you’re at it, you can also see our breakdown of Italy vs. Sweden.
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Spain’s quest for a third successive Euro crown is off to a solid start after beating the Czech Republic, 1-0, at Stadium Municipal on Monday. Defender Gerard Pique scored a dramatic winner in the 87th minute to send the two-time defending champions to the top of Group D. It was a gritty performance by Spain who are now unbeaten in their past 13 Euro finals games.
They will look to solidify their hold of the top spot when they face bottom side Turkey this coming Friday. For Spain to record another victory in Group D, it’s crucial that they control the ball again against Turkey. The Spaniards were able to control 72 percent of the possession against the Czech Republic. That helped Spain establish a 18-6 edge in shot attempts and a 5-3 advantage in the shots on target department against the Turks.
The Spaniards are expected to utilize their vaunted passing game against Turkey. Spain completed 632 of their 694 passes against the Czech Republic for an exceptional 91 percent clip. Spain will fancy their chances of beating Turkey as they have fared extremely well against them of late. They are unbeaten in their last three matches with Turkey. Spain defeated Turkey, 1-0, in their last meeting in a World Cup qualifier back in 2009.
Turkey stumbled in their opening group game, losing 1-0 to Croatia on Sunday. They simply had no answer for Croatia’s 4-2-3-1 formation as Luka Modric and co. time and again picked apart their fragile defense. That being said, all hope of qualifying is not yet lost for Turkey, which only trails the two leading teams in Group D by just three points. A victory against Spain this coming Friday would go a long way in preserving their qualification hopes in this competition.
They will have their work cut out for them, however, against a Spain side that haven’t conceded a single goal in their last 600 minutes at the European Championship, the longest run in the history of the tournament. The onus then is on Arda Turan to provide the much-needed spark for the Turkish attack. The Turkey captain was a non-factor in the loss to Croatia and was substituted with 25 minutes remaining. The Barcelona midfielder has scored 17 goals in 92 international appearances for Turkey.
More than their offense, though, it’s crucial for Turkey that they put the clamps on Spanish star Andres Iniesta. He was sensational in the win against the Czech Republic with Iniesta delivering the game-winning assist to Pique. He made more passes (77) in the opposition half than any other player in that contest. He now has four career assists in the European Championship, joint-most for Spain alongside David Silva and Cesc Fabregas.
