In the early hours of June 27th, the Turkish national team defeated Czech Republic 2-1 in the final Group F match of the European Championship, advancing to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2008.
During the match, Turkey gained a numerical advantage in the 20th minute when Czech player Antonín Barák was sent off for receiving his second yellow card. Turkey then took the lead in the 51st minute through Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Czech Republic equalized in the 66th minute, making the match more intense. Turkey secured the win in the fourth minute of stoppage time with a goal from Cenk Tosun, finishing the game 2-1.
Turkish coach Montella expressed his joy at the team’s qualification after the game: “We haven’t been able to advance from the group stage in many years, so we are very happy. We overcame difficulties in today’s match.”
“We want to enjoy this victory and focus on the next game from tomorrow, aiming to continue making history. It will be a blow to us that some players cannot participate in the next game, but their absence will be a difficult situation.”
Turkey will face Austria in the Round of 16. Austria finished first in Group D, which also included France, Netherlands, and Poland.
Montella remains vigilant about Austria, stating that the team needs time to recover and prepare: “We need to recover, we have six days left. In this kind of match, we need to control our emotions and focus more on ball possession.”
“Austria topped a very tough group, they are quick, versatile, and deserve credit.”
Montella also praised his young team: “Only three of the starting eleven today had European Championship experience. I hope qualifying for the Round of 16 will alleviate some pressure.”
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