Turkey 0-2 Wales: Ramsey and Roberts put Wales on brink of knockouts
Cardiff, Wales. 5th June 2021. Aaron Ramsey of Wales in action Wales v Albania friendly at the Cardiff City Stadium on the 5th June 2021. Credit: Lewis Mitchell/YCPD.
Wales are on the verge of progressing to the knockouts of EURO 2020 after defeating Turkey 2-0 at Baku Olympic Stadium.
Aaron Ramsey scored the opening goal after 42 minutes with a great piece of control and smart finish. Wales could have been two up just after the hour but Gareth Bale put the penalty high over the bar. Wales made sure of the win deep into added time with Connor Roberts finishing from a clever corner routine.
Wales move on to four points and will finish the group in at least third place with a tough trip to play Italy in Rome to come.
Turkey have a massive challenge to reach the knockout round now after two defeats. They will play Switzerland in their last group game.
Wales started the match well passing the ball around and creating chances from early on. Turkey had a good spell of pressure towards the end of the first half but were caught out towards the end as Ramsey scored. The second half saw Wales sit deeper and play off the counter. Turkey created chances but failed to trouble Danny Ward for the most part. Wales penned Turkey into their own half in added time and pressure told as Conner Roberts made it two nil.
Burak Yilmaz was a danger from the beginning as he got himself free out on the right. He whipped the ball across the box but Joe Morrell was on hand to clear.
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The first real chance went Wales’ way as Gareth Bale fed the ball into the box for Ramsey. Ramsey took the ball and tried to squeeze it inside Ugurcan Cakir’s near post but the keeper made a great save.
Moments later it was Turkey with a great chance. A quickly taken free-kick gave Yilmaz a chance to shoot but his shot was blocked by a well-positioned Chris Mepham.
Ramsey and Bale were linking up well and almost created the opening goal after 22 minutes. Bale with a through ball to find Ramsey in the box, but he fired high and over the goal.
Turkey came into the half and had a long spell of pressure. Joe Morrell forced to clear off the line from Kaan Ayhan and then moments later Morrell was clearing the line again.
Turkey were trying to attack though the middle with Yilmaz, but the Lille forward couldn’t find the target.
After soaking up the pressure from Turkey Wales took the lead after 42 minutes. Gareth Bale with a subline ball into the box finding the run of Ramsey. Ramsey chested the ball down then placed it past Cakir to give Wales the lead.
Turkey made two changes at the break and forced Wales to defend for long periods of the second half.
Hakan Calhanoglu saw a long range effort go straight at Danny Ward in the Welsh goal.
Yilmaz gave Wales a warning with a volley from six yards, but the forward blazed it over the bar.
Wales did have chances of their own in the second half. Connor Roberts finding Aaron Ramsey in the box and he forced a good save from Celik.
Embed from Getty ImagesMoments after Wales had the chance for a second as Bale was fouled just inside the area by Zeki Celik. After a VAR check Bale stepped up but he fired the ball high and over the bar.
The missed penalty gave Turkey the momentum and Umut Meras saw a shot blocked before Yilmaz’s header was cleared by Ben Davies.
On 66 minutes there was a melee in the box which saw several players getting yellow cards.
Turkey kept the pressure on Wales and Wales had to thank Danny Ward for keeping the score 1-0. From a corner, the ball was headed towards the inside of the post but Ward came across the goal with two hands to push the ball away.
As the game went into added time Wales were able to get deep into the Turkish half and stay there winning corners.
Wales made sure of the game with the second goal. A training ground corner routine saw Bale dribble the ball along the byline before setting up Connor Roberts who found the net to win the game.
Turkey: Ugurcan Cakir (G), Zeki Celik, Kaan Ayhan, Caglar Soyuncu, Umut Meras (Mert Muldur 73), Okay Yokuslu (Merih Demiral 45), Ozan Tufan (Yusuf Yazici 45) ,Cengiz Under (Irfan Kahveci 83), Kenan Karaman (Ibrahim Dervisoglu 75), Hakan Calhanoglu, Burak Yilmaz (C).
Yellow Cards: Burak Yilmaz (92), Hakan Calhanoglu (92)
Wales: Danny Ward (G), Connor Roberts, Chris Mepham, Joe Rodon, Ben Davies, Joe Allen, Joe Morrell, Aaron Ramsey, Dan James, Kieffer Moore, Gareth Bale (C).
Yellow Cards: Ben Davies (92), Chris Mepham (92)
Missed Penalty: Gareth Bale (61)
Goals: Aaron Ramsey (43), Connor Roberts (90+5)
