Will Turkey warm up for the Group G showdown?
Under Stefan Kuntz, a new era is to be ushered in for the Turkish national team. For the time being, the former national coach of the German U21 team still has a free pass at Turkey due to the short acclimatisation period. Nevertheless, the ongoing qualification for the 2022 World Cup is of immense importance for the “Ay-Yildizlilar”.
Because the Turkish national team missed a win against Norway in the last international break, the leap to second place in Group G can only be realised with shooting assistance. In this respect, the last matchday will be particularly important, as the Scandinavians will meet the Dutch national team in their last group match.
Turkey, on the other hand, have to overcome an away hurdle against Montenegrin side Gibraltar. Against Gibraltar, the Turkish national team is, as expected, the clear favourite with the best betting sites.
In eight group matches, the midget state has conceded eight defeats so far. Across all groups, “Team 54” has also been the shooting gallery of the current 2022 World Cup qualifiers. No other nation has conceded more goals than Gibraltar (34).
Turkey – Statistics & current form
Stefan Kuntz let his emotions run free after the last-minute win against Latvia. After all, the new national coach of Turkey got his first win with the “Ay-Yildizlilar” and also kept the chance for the second rank alive. Another draw after the previous one against Norway would have been hard to bear.
Kuntz & Co. still have two matchdays left to knock the Scandinavians off second place. The last matchday, when the Turkish national team is the guest of Montenegro, will set the tone. In the parallel match, Norway will meet the Dutch group favourites.
If Norway loses the match against the Netherlands, Turkey can still take second place in Group G with two wins in a row. If Norway and Turkey are tied on points, however, the goal difference will decide. In this respect, the upcoming group match against Gibraltar is of great importance for the Turkish national team.
Is Turkey on goal difference?
Turkey’s national team will have to win by a landslide against the midget state. In the first leg, Turkey won 3-0 in Gibraltar. For another victory with a lead of at least three goals, the bookmakers are currently only offering odds in the 1.15 range in the Turkey vs Gibraltar match.
Because the “Ay-Yildizlilar” need to improve their goal difference, it is obvious that the Turkish national team will flex its offensive muscles before the second half. Stefan Kuntz will probably even adjust the starting eleven and the formation accordingly.
The last time Turkey scored more than three goals in an international match was in March 2021, when the Red and Whites celebrated an impressive surprise coup against Holland (4:2). Since then, Turkey have only scored more than two goals in three of their last 13 international matches. That included the match against Gibraltar in the first leg of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Predicted line-up of Turkey:
Cakir – Celik, Demiral, Söyüncu, Erkin – Ünder, Kökcü, Özdemir, Calhanoglu, Aktürkoglu – Yilmaz
Last matches played by Turkey:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. G
10/11 2021 – Latvia 1 – 2 Turkey
10/08 2021 – Turkey 1 – 1 Norway
09/07 2021 – Netherlands 6 – 1 Turkey
09/04 2021 – Gibraltar 0 – 3 Turkey
09/01 2021 – Turkey 2 – 2 Montenegro
Gibraltar – Statistics & current form
As was predictable in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Gibraltar remained largely harmless throughout the qualifying phase. After eight matchdays in Group G, “Team 54” has already suffered eight defeats. The dwarf state has conceded a total of 34 goals – the worst figure in European World Cup qualifying in 2022.
In the last international break, Gibraltar were already overrun by Montenegro and Holland. Against the Dutch national team, “Team 54” scored a total of six times. Gibraltar had already suffered a heavy defeat (0:7) against Holland in the first round. It is quite possible that the team of national coach Julio Ribas will now suffer another away debacle.
Gibraltar have conceded five or more goals in four of their last eight internationals. In the last six away matches, “Team 54” conceded a total of 24 goals – an average of four goals per match away from home. Accordingly, the prediction of many goals in the match Turkey vs. Gibraltar seems to be conclusive.
Is Gibraltar without a chance against Turkey?
On Saturday night, Gibraltar will play their 63rd international match in the history of the federation. In the 62 international matches before that, “Team 54” could only celebrate six victories and six draws, while the dwarf state lost a total of 50 of 62 international matches. In addition, Gibraltar conceded a total of 218 goals in this period.
It would therefore be all the more surprising if Gibraltar were to improve their record in the away game in Turkey. Given the limited number of players in the squad – only three legionnaires are represented in the Gibraltar national team – even a goal would be a big surprise.
Tjay De Barr is currently the most dangerous player in the ranks of “Team 54”. The youngster has already scored three goals in 26 international matches. Betting fans who want to bet on the 21-year-old leading his team to at least an away goal at their upcoming opponents can pick up attractive odds in the Turkey vs Gibraltar match.
Predicted line-up of Gibraltar:
Coleing – Sergeant, Chipolina, Wiseman, Mouelhi, Chipolina – Walker, Ronan, Torrilla, Valarino – Styche
Last matches played by Gibraltar:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. G
10/11 2021 – Netherlands 6 – 0 Gibraltar
10/08 2021 – Gibraltar 0 – 3 Montenegro
09/07 2021 – Norway 5 – 1 Gibraltar
09/04 2021 – Gibraltar 0 – 3 Turkey
09/01 2021 – Latvia 3 – 1 Gibraltar
Turkey – Gibraltar Direct comparison / H2H record
In the first leg, a prediction on the “Ay-Yildizlilar” already paid off for Turkey against Gibraltar. With a surprising goalless draw before the second half, Turkey turned up the heat in the second half and netted three goals.
Turkey – Gibraltar Tip
Because Turkey currently have the worse goal difference against Norway, the upcoming home match against Gibraltar is of great importance for the Turkish national team. With an emphatic victory against the dwarf state, the “Ay-Yildizlilar” can possibly already set the course for the showdown on the last matchday.
In the best-case scenario, Turkey can then take second place even if they are tied on points. Because Gibraltar already suffered bitter defeats at the hands of Holland and Montenegro during the last international break, it is obvious that “Team 54” will also go down in the away game in Turkey.
In the first leg, Gibraltar lost the match against Turkey 3-0, and the bookmakers are only offering odds in the 1.15 range for a similar result this time around. It is quite possible that the three-goal mark will be broken before the second half. With a stake of six units we place our bet on Turkey vs Gibraltar at good odds on more than 2.5 goals in the first half.
