The Europeans, Turkey – Wales 0-2: a symbolic goal and Roberts

By our reporter GB Olivero

June 16
– Baku (Azerbaijan)

The great Wales dominate Turkey, win 2-0 and even dream of being top in Group A: the last match of the first stage will be in Rome against the Blues, Mancini. The quality of Ramsey and Bale made the difference, and the encouragement of nearly 20,000 Turks wasn’t enough to pull Gunes’ side beyond their seemingly serious bounds against Italy. The circulation of the ball and the ideas of Wales removed Turkey from their inability to create chances if not from a free kick. The result could have been broader for Wales, who missed a penalty with Bale.

first half

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Contrary to what was experienced in training and also what was announced on the eve of it, the changes compared to the first race are few. Turkey left Demiral and Yazici on the bench and Ayhan and under: the format always 4-1-4-1. Wales, on the other hand, has the same squad that debuted with Switzerland, but plays in a 4-2-3-1 fashion which puts Ramsey as an attacking midfielder. A carefully thought-out movement, as we shall see. Already at 6′ Bale finds a Juventus player in the area: dribbling and shooting are rejected by Cákir. At 9′ Yelms slips off the ledge and kicks, but Mepham deflects for a corner kick. Wales are pressing carefully, Turkey struggling to get out and above all failing to read the movements of Big’s attacking midfielders. Gunes’ defense suffers from entries, but also crosses that go beyond the middle. At 24′ Bale catches Ramsey again just in front of Cakir, but the shot ends in the corner. Turkey has a start with two consecutive corners: first Ayhan and then Soyuncu stand out, but two opponents refuse near the goal, especially in the second case Muriel’s decisive intervention. But in the 42nd minute Wales scored with the third revival of a clearly prepared plan: Bale slipped and threw, Ramsay cut and scored this time with a first-class strike.

the other half

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After the break, Turkey showed another spirit as well as another form (4-2-3-1 with Calhanoglu back in again after Demiral Lyukuslu and Yazici entered Toufan). In 2 ‘Under does not find the impact on the beautiful cross of the Milan player, who shortly after the central shot. At 9’ Demiral serves as a tower for Yilmaz who from the edge of the small area misses an exciting opportunity by withdrawing. At 13, Kakir instinctively rejects Ramsey’s shot ten metres. In the 15th minute, Bale jumps on Celik and sends him off in the area: a net penalty kick. However, Bale makes a lot of feints and kicks too loud. The incident unleashes a Turkey that is attacking en masse: too much enthusiasm, but too little clarity. And in the 34th minute, Kaker had to save a header from Bale, which was found by the excellent Ramsey. The Juventus player also runs twenty meters to stop Mulder in a dangerous situation. The equalizing opportunity came in the 42nd minute when Demiral took a corner kick and forced Ward to save it well. But it is Wells who creates other dangerous situations in the counterattack and in the fifties comes the deserved double signed by Roberts, served by the wonderful Bell. Page’s team leaves the field to applause: a grandiose performance.