The final team in our rundown of Group D is Turkey. Fatih Terim’s men get their tournament underway against Croatia on Sunday June 12 at 2pm, then take on defending champions Spain five days later at 8pm before squaring up to the Czech Republic (8pm) on June 21.
If, as predicted by the bookies, Turkey finish third in the group, they’d then face the winners of either Group A or B in the last 16 – this could see them potentially pitted against France or England and lessen the likelihood of clinching a place in the quarter-finals.
Road to Qualification
After picking up a single point from their first three group fixtures, Turkey’s chances of making the tournament looked slim-to-none before a run of five wins and two draws in the subsequent seven clinched a spot as best third-placed in the final round of fixtures.
Emerging from a group that also included the likes of Holland, Czech Republic and Iceland, Terim’s side scored 14 times and conceded on nine occasions. After drawing a blank in the campaign opener, they found the net in each of the remaining nine matches and also upped their resilience as the group unfolded, conceding just once in their final five Group A fixtures.
Over the past 12 months, Turkey have played seven friendlies, chalking up wins against Bulgaria (4-0), Qatar, Sweden and Austria (all by a 2-1 scoreline) before seeing off Montenegro 1-0 on Sunday. They’ve also played out a goalless draw with Greece and lost 2-1 to England at the end of May – indeed, that reverse against the Three Lions was Turkey’s only defeat in their last 15 matches.
Most Appearances Ozan Tufan (10), Arda Turan, Caner Erkin Selcuk Inan, Mehmet Topal (9), Volkan Babacan (8) Serdar Aziz, Hakan Calhanoglu, Volkan Sen, Gokhan Tore (7), Hakan Balta, Burak Yilmaz, Umut Bulut (6).
Most goals Burak Yilmaz (4), Selcuk Inan (3), Arda Turan (2)
Most assists Arda Turan (3), Caner Erkin, Volkan Sen (2).
The Key Targets
With two goals and three assists to his name, the contribution of Arda Turan looks vital to Turkey’s chances. Coming in at a pricey 8.0, the Barcelona midfielder’s underlying numbers bode well for his prospects – stationed in the attacking midfield three in Terim’s 4-2-3-1 formation, he sat second for attempts on goal and top for chances created over the qualifiers. Turan was also second for successful tackles, which also strengthens his appeal in the DraftKings game.
Available for 7.5 in Uefa, Hakan Calhanoglu is the most popular Turkish player and sits in 5% of sides. Versatile enough to feature in the double-pivot or in the three slots behind a lone frontman, he only mustered a single goal in the qualifiers but the stats are very much in his favour – Calhanoglu was second only to Turan for key passes and fired just one shot less than his team-mate on the road to France. The Bayer Leverkusen player is also the main man for dead-ball duties and supplied more accurate crosses than any Turkey player.
Up front, Cenk Tosun has started each of the six friendlies – scoring on three occasions – due to Burak Yilmaz’ injury woes since a move to China. The latter emerged from the bench to signal his comeback against Montenegro at the weekend but after a period on the sidelines, may have to rely on sub appearances unless Terim decides to risk him. Clearly, Yilmaz (8.0) is the number one when fully fit but with questions over his match sharpness, Tosun, at a price of 6.0 in Uefa, may well retain his starting berth over the group stages at least.
At the back, Terim’s decision to utilise a number of midfielders in defence in recent matches lessens our options. Caner Erkin and Mehmet Topal have started each of the last four at left-back and centre-half, for example, which limits the viable options on offer. Right-back Gokhan Gonul looks to have established himself as a regular of late and started three of those last four – at a price of 4.5 in Uefa, he could be worth considering for those in search of a budget enabler.
The Long Shots
In the centre of the park, Selcuk Inan comes in at 7.0 after starting all but one of the qualifiers. The Galatasaray man has since been named in the first XI in only three of the subsequent friendlies, though, as Terim chops and changes his options. Providing he can retain his regular role, Inan’s all-round style of play seems more suited to DraftKings – he sits in the top four for shots and key passes and also takes a top two spot for successful tackles and interceptions in the qualifiers.
Volkan Sen looks to have emerged as a more secure option in recent friendlies and has started three of the last four. Named in the first XI in only four of the qualifiers, he comes in at just 5.5 in the Uefa game, suggesting he has the potential to emerge as an under the radar pick for our five-man midfields.
Upcoming Friendlies
Slovenia vs Turkey (June 5)
Euro 16 Statistics Now Available
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Further Analysis
Group A – Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland.
Group B England, Russia, Slovakia, Wales.
Group C Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine.
Group D Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain
