When Turkey vs Luxembourg is at home in the UEFA Nations League game on Thursday, they will be trying to keep their perfect record in the current season of the league. This will be Turkey’s first game at home in the UEFA Nations League.
One of their rivals is the country Luxembourg. The results of this match will be included in the rankings of both teams in the UEFA Nations League.
For the visitors to have any chance of leapfrogging their subsequent opponents and moving into the first position in the rankings, they need to secure a victory in their current contest.
They will only be able to do this if they are successful. If they are successful, then they will have the ability to carry this out.
Match Preview: Turkey vs Luxembourg
Turkey was demoted to League C in the Nations League and was anticipated to return to Europe’s second division as the top-ranked third-tier country.
Stefan Kuntz’s squad has scored 14 goals without reply in four victories over Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, and Lithuania (twice). Kuntz’s equalizer against England at Euro 1996 helped knock them out in the semi-finals.
Since taking over the Crescent-Stars in September, he’s won seven of 10 matches. Turkey’s 3-1 loss to Portugal in March destroyed the nation’s chances of qualifying for a third World Cup.
An eighth win over Luxembourg on Thursday will guarantee their promotion back to Europe’s League B in the Nations League, strengthening their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Luxembourg’s former player Luc Holtz has led the senior squad to a record high of 82nd in the FIFA World Rankings in September 2018. Luxembourg was promoted to League C on their maiden try and finished second to Montenegro in the previous edition.
Unless they win Thursday at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium, history will repeat again. Under Holtz, the Red Lions may believe they have a stronger opportunity than ever to qualify for a major tournament, particularly with the Nations League offering a possible backdoor.
Therefore, they must finish second in the group with as many points as possible. Having defeated Ireland away in March 2021, they should be able to overcome Turkey this week.
Team News: Turkey vs Luxembourg
Salih Ozcan, a Borussia Dortmund midfielder who has made five appearances for Turkey after switching allegiances from Germany earlier this year, has withdrawn from the team owing to swelling in his foot and will thus not be eligible.
Since usual captain Hakan Calhanoglu was not included in the squad owing to a hamstring injury, Irfan Kahveci and Orkun Kokcu have an opportunity to step up and fill the vacuum left in the middle of the field.
Of the nine players he called up from his last squad, only Onur Bulut and Ismail Yuksek have yet to make their national team debut. Given the 26-year-lack old’s of playing time with Leicester City, Ozan Kabak.
He who has been in outstanding form for Hoffenheim this season might be preferred over Caglar Soyuncu at center-back. Meanwhile, Luxembourg has made six changes to their roster from their earlier selection, including the inclusion of veteran defender Lars Krogh Gerson.
Fabio Lohei and Alessio Curci would both be making their international debuts if they played against Turkey, but Holtz may prefer to use them against Lithuania on Sunday considering how much is at stake for his team in their journey to Turkey.
- Potential Turkey Starting XI: Bayindir, Celik, Kabak, Ayhan, Kadioglu, Kahveci, Kokcu, Under, Dervisoglu, Akturkoglu, Dursun.
- Possible Starting XI for Luxembourg: Moris, Da Graca, Chanot, Carlson, Pinto, Barreiro, Gerson, Thill, Bohnert, Sinani, Rodrigues.
Our Prediction: Turkey 2-0 Luxembourg
Even after suffering injuries to a few players in the center of the field, Turkey should continue to have an advantage in terms of the amount of skill they possess compared to their rivals.
While Luxembourg has made significant progress over the last few years, they are still not as successful as it might be in some areas.
The hosts will be determined to retain their flawless record and gain promotion to League B. Luxembourg has made significant progress over the past few years.
In recent years, Luxembourg has achieved significant advancements, yet there are still certain areas where they fall short in terms of quality.
