Türkiye faces Austrian challenge at Euros

LEIPZIG

Advancing to the last 16 following an eventful climax to its group-stage campaign, Türkiye takes on Euro 2024 dark horse Austria in Leipzig on July 2 evening.

The nations' first major tournament meeting features a substantial prize: The winner will qualify for a quarterfinal against either Netherlands or Romania.

Türkiye began its Group F campaign with an impressive 3-1 win against debutant Georgia but then went down 3-0 against section winner Portugal.

However, it regrouped quickly to see off 10-man Czechia in the final group match, with a 94th-minute Cenk Tosun goal ensuring Vincenzo Montella's side finished second in the standings.

Montella's youthful squad, which had the second-youngest starting roster on average during the group stage, has therefore taken the country into the latter stages of the Euros for just a third time ever, and the first since 2008, when Türkiye memorably made the semifinals.

"When the team reached the semifinal in Euro 2008, I was just three years old, and can't remember anything,” Türkiye winger Kanan Yıldız told UEFA.com.

“Any child dreams of being here when they are young. It is perfect to be here,” the Juventus player added.

"I always play for my team. I don't think about my individual performance. I will try to continue to give my best for the national team and try to be efficient."

Montella, meanwhile, must do without influential captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu and defender Samet Akaydın against Austria, after both picked up their second bookings of the tournament against the Czech Republic.

Abdülkerim Bardakçı is back from suspension and should join Merih Demiral at the heart of Türkiye's back four, with Okay Yokuşlu, Kaan Ayhan and Orkun Kökçü vying to replace Çalhanoğlu in midfield.

Should Kenan Yıldız (19 years and 59 days) and Real Madrid's Arda Güler (19 years and 128 days) both be selected, it will be just the second time any nation has started two teenagers in a knockout game at the Euros, and the first since 1964.

The teams met in a friendly at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna on March 26, Austria recording a remarkable 6-1 victory with a hat-trick by Michael Gregoritsch.

In Leipzig, the Turkish players can count on their fans, who will turn the stadium into a home venue fort hem, to help them erase the bad memories of that match and advance to the quarterfinals.

Also on July 2, the Netherlands will face Romania, which surprisingly topped the closely-contested Group E thanks largely to its opening round 3-0 thumping of Ukraine, while it drew and lost its remaining matches.

The Dutch will need to improve should they wish to reach the quarterfinals of the Euros for the first time since 2008, let alone emulate the 1988 Oranje side and win a European Championship on German soil.

The Netherlands will be favored to make it past Romania, which had only won one of its 16 Euros matches prior to beating Ukraine.

That win however came against one of Europe's big guns: A 3-2 victory over England in 2000.