Türkiye heads to Nations League playoffs after Montenegro loss

NIKSIC, Montenegro

Türkiye spurned the opportunity to finish atop its group in the UEFA Nations League and qualify for League A directly with a 3-1 loss at Montenegro on Nov. 19 night.

Wales' won 4-1 against Iceland to leapfrog the Euro 2024 quarterfinalist.

Türkiye coach Vincenzo Montella said the poor conditions of the pitch in Niksic played a big role in the result.

“It was a football game with little football played, the pitch was really too bad to play at this level,” the Italian told a post-game press conference.

“When you play at this level in these conditions, it is an unusual match. Our players fought until the end but we are a team with a higher technical capacity, we are not as physical as them and we paid for it with the score.”

Montenegro seemed comfortable throughout the match against Türkiye, which fell behind in the 29th minute as Nikola Krstovic pounced on Emirhan Topçu's miscued challenge to race in on goal and fire home.

Juventus forward Kenan Yıldız leveled the match eight minutes later, but Krstovic punished Türkiye once again to reestablish Montenegro's lead in the final minute of the first half.

Lecce forward Krstovic completed a hat-trick, his first-ever international, 17 minutes from the final whistle to secure his side's first victory in its Nations League campaign and end a string of seven consecutive defeats.

With the loss, Türkiye finished Group B4 in the second spot three points behind Wales. It will now play a playoff match against a third-place finisher from League A, with the winning side having a spot in the top division for the next season. The draw for the opponent will take place on Nov. 22.

Montella said the team’s target of promotion to League A has not changed.

“We will play playoffs in March, our goal is to reach League A, and we also want a spot in the [2026] World Cup,” he said.

“We also have players who will continue to develop in this process, the more they develop the stronger we will be.”

Asked about Türkiye’s possible playoff opponents, Hungary, Serbia, Belgium and Scotland, Montella said the draw result does not matter.

"The opponent is not important, it is only after a defeat that we lose our excitement, our balance, our will, our spirit and the love of our nation,” he said.

“These are very important balances in football. The opponent doesn't matter, we will continue to play our own football. We will do our best. Sometimes we rush too much because we love too much, we have to be careful, we have to be patient, we have to progress step by step.”

Also in the Nations League on Nov. 19, the Czech Republic booked the top spot in Group B1 with a 2-1 win over Georgia. Ukraine leapfrogged the Georgians into second place by downing Albania.

In League C, Sweden showcased its striking prowess with a 6-0 thumping of Azerbaijan as it emphatically topped its group.

Much-heralded 26-year-old striker Viktor Gyokeres netted four goals in the rout, with Dejan Kulusevski grabbing a brace.