In a thrilling match at Dortmund, Portugal secured a convincing 3-0 win over Turkey, booking their spot in the UEFA Euro 2024 knockout stages with a game to spare. Despite Turkey’s valiant efforts, an own goal and some unfortunate defensive mishaps sealed their fate.
The Portuguese team, led by the ever-dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo, came out strong from the starting whistle. Altay Bayındır, Turkey’s goalkeeper, was put to the test early on, and although Kerem Akturkoglu had a promising chance, he couldn’t capitalize on it.
Portugal’s persistence paid off midway through the first half, with Rafael Leao and Nuno Mendes combining beautifully to set up Bernardo Silva for the opening goal. In a bizarre turn of events, a comical own goal doubled Portugal’s lead just seven minutes later, leaving Turkey reeling.
Despite the setback, Turkey refused to give up. Akturkoglu came close to pulling one back, but Diogo Costa denied him with a smart save. The Portuguese continued to press, with Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo testing the Turkish defense.
The second half saw more of the same, with Ronaldo exploiting Turkey’s defensive lapses to set up Fernandes for the third goal. The introduction of young sensation Arda Guler couldn’t turn the tide, and Portugal cruised to a well-deserved win.
While Turkey’s unlucky night ended in defeat, they can take heart from their spirited performance. A draw in their final group match against Czechia will still see them reach the knockout rounds for the first time in 16 years. Portugal, on the other hand, remains unbeaten against teams outside the top 20, their Euro 2024 campaign off to a flying start.
