Turkey vs. Iceland: Preview

Turkey will look for their first win of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League when they host Iceland in Izmir on Monday night. Turkey had a strong performance in Euro 2024, reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated by the Netherlands, and there is much to be hopeful about with their emerging talent.

Despite this, Vincenzo Montella’s squad could not find the net against Wales and faced additional frustration with Baris Alper Yilmaz’s red card. Previously in the 2022-23 Nations League, Turkey topped Group 1 in League C ahead of Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, and Lithuania, earning promotion to League B.

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Turkey vs. Iceland: Team Form and Head-to-Head

The Turkish team began their League B Group 4 campaign with a goalless draw against Wales on Friday. In contrast, Iceland secured a 2-0 victory over Montenegro, thanks to goals from Orri Oskarsson and Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson. Turkey will play against Montenegro and Iceland again in October and will be optimistic about their chances of topping the group based on their recent progress.

Historically, Turkey has faced Iceland 13 times, winning only twice, with Iceland remaining unbeaten in their last four encounters. Their most recent matchups were during Euro 2020 qualifiers, with Iceland winning 2-1 at home and the return match ending in a 0-0 draw.

Iceland did not qualify for Euro 2024 after a 2-1 defeat to Ukraine in the playoffs but secured a notable 1-0 victory over England in a friendly in early June. Under Age Hareide, Iceland started their 2024-25 Nations League campaign strongly with a 2-0 win over Montenegro, placing them at the top of Group 4 in League B with three points.

Team News

Turkey will need to adjust for the absence of Yilmaz, who is suspended after his red card against Wales. Arda Guler, who played as a false nine during Euro 2024, may fill that role, with Hakan Calhanoglu joining the squad. The rest of the lineup is expected to remain the same, with Montella likely to continue with a five-man defense and seek more from his wing-backs.

Hareide is not expected to make significant changes for Iceland after their impressive performance against Montenegro. Oskarsson, who scored his third international goal in the last game, will likely lead the attack, with Thorsteinsson also set to start. Birmingham City’s Alfons Sampsted is expected to feature at right-back.

Turkey vs Iceland: Possible Starting Lineups

Turkey: Gunok; Celik, Ayhan, Soyuncu, Bardakci, Muldur; Calhanoglu, Kokcu, Yuksek, Yildiz; Guler

Iceland: Valdimarsson; Sampsted, Hermansson, Gretarsson, Tomasson; Anderson, Gudmundsson, Thordason, Thorsteinsson; G Sigurdsson; Oskarsson

Iceland is aiming for consecutive wins for the first time since January, and another victory would put them in a strong position for their October fixtures against Wales and Turkey.

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Article originally written by Jaineel Kariya