Turkey secured a 2-1 win over the 10-man Czech Republic, booking their place in the Euro 2024 knockout stages. The match was intense, with the Czech Republic down to ten men for most of the game after Antonin Barak was sent off in the first half.
From the kickoff, the Czech Republic was determined to win the game. Despite missing their star striker Patrik Schick due to injury, they delivered a worthy battle to Turkey. Early on, Coufal’s long throw and Lukas Provod’s missed shot gave Turkey almost a scare, but goalkeeper Mert Gunok made a spectacular save denying the opportunity.
Turkey, knowing they needed to avoid a heavy defeat to secure second place in the group, made seven changes from their last game. The home crowd’s loud support pushed them forward. Young star Arda Guler returned from injury, and Kenan Yildiz’s early shot showed Turkey’s attacking intent
Turkey pulled off the perfect comeback against Czech Republic
The thrilling game took a turn when Barak received his second yellow card for a foul on Salih Ozcan. the Czech were downsized to 10-man. This blunder gave Turkey a significant advantage they started creating more chances just after halftime. Just a few minutes into the second half, Hakan Calhanoglu scored a spectacular goal to give Turkey the lead.
The Czech Republic, however, did not give up till the final whistle. Tomas Soucek’s equalizer in the 66th minute brought them back into the game, and for a moment, it looked like they might pull off a comeback and turn everything upside down. But in stoppage time, Turkey’s Cenk Tosun scored the crucial winner, sealing their spot in the round of 16 stage of Euro 2024. turkey now looks forward to a last-16 clash with Austria, hoping to carry their fighting spirit into the knockout stages.
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