Turkey beats Moldova 4-0 in qualifying game

ESKİŞEHİR

Turkey beat Moldova 4-0 in the second game of its Euro 2020 qualification campaign on March 25, heading to a crucial game on June 8 against France with two victories in as many games.

Hasan Ali Kaldırım gave the host side an early lead scoring the opening goal in the 24th minute in Eskişehir. Just two minutes later, Cenk Tosun scored the second sealing the first half.

In the second half, Tosun added another goal in the 54th minute, while Kaan Ayhan scored the fourth goal in the 70th minute as he headed firmly past goalkeeper Alexei Koşelev.

Burak Yılmaz also missed a penalty shot in the 53rd minute.

Turkey is in Group H with France, Iceland, Albania, Moldova and Andorra.

Also in the group on March 25, group favorite and 2018 World Cup winner France beat Iceland 4-0 at home and Albania won 3-0 at Andorra.

Kylian Mbappe scored one and set up two more as France routed Iceland at the Stade de France.

“It was our objective to take six points but the manner was good as well,” France manager Didier Deschamps told the post-match press conference.

Deschamps praised his team’s “offensive efficiency” against a “dense” Icelandic defense. “When the opponent plays very defensively it can be very difficult to find a way through so that was a good sign,” said Deschamps, although he acknowledged that Icelandic fatigue near the end played a role.

He added that he was pleased that all three strikers, Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Oivier Giroud, scored.

“They are the champions of the world and you saw that today,” acknowledged Iceland manager Erik Hamren. “Five shots on goal and they scored four. That’s top class.”

In its first game, Turkey defeated Albania 2-0 on March 22.

After two games, Turkey sits in the second spot in the group behind France on goal difference. The two teams will clash on June 8 in Konya.

The winners and runners-up from 10 groups each will automatically qualify for the Euro 2020 finals.

The qualifiers will determine 20 teams, while four others will come from the Nations League playoffs in March 2020. Prior to March 25’s match, the Turkish team raised placards saying “Hello Brother”, the final words of a victim of New Zealand’s terror attacks.