June 20, (THEWILL) – Turkey claimed a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Wales in their Euro 2024 qualifying match, propelling them to the top of Group D.
Despite missing a penalty and having two goals disallowed by VAR, Turkey’s perseverance paid off in the end. Mehmet Umut Nayir’s late header and a brilliant curled effort by substitute Arda Guler proved to be the decisive blows that shattered Welsh resistance.
Turkey thought they had taken an early lead when Zeki Celik’s low cross deflected off Wales’ Chris Mepham and into the net. However, VAR intervened, denying Turkey the goal. Wales’ task became even more challenging when Joe Morrell was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Ferdi Kadioglu in the 41st minute. These setbacks aside, Turkey persisted in their pursuit of victory.
In the 64th minute, Hakan Calhanoglu was denied from the penalty spot by Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward, and shortly after, Nayir had a goal disallowed for offside. However, Nayir eventually broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute with a powerful header, and Guler sealed the win with a magnificent left-footed shot into the top corner.
Turkey’s triumph in this match strengthens their position at the top of Group D, underscoring their determination to secure a spot in Euro 2024. Wales will need to regroup and find ways to bounce back from their recent defeats, which has left them in fourth place with four points.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
