A Tricky Start For Bellamy
Many neutrals will be tuning in to this game to see how new manager Craig Bellamy gets on his first game as Wales manager. The 45-year-old was a good striker in his day, but this is his first proper job in management. His only prior experience as a coach was working for the U21s at Belgian side Anderlect between 2019 and 2021, so this is a totally different experience.
The expectation of Wales to be in contention to qualify for major tournaments has grown since their semi-final journey at Euro 2016, so Bellamy will be under some pressure to go down the same path. However, his first game in charge against Turkey will certainly be a difficult one. They are a team going places, and they did a remarkable job getting to the quarterfinals of the Euros. A lot of their players are young and have a lot of potential to go onto bigger and better things over the next few years. Moreover, their coach, Vicenzo Montella, has stayed on, and there is a real sense he’s building something.
Captain Ramsey Still At The Helm
When it comes to picking his first squad, Bellamy hasn’t had too many issues to deal with. The likes of Dan James and Wes Burns are unavailable through injury, but that’s about it. An interesting selection has been the call-up of Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow to the squad after Wayne Hennessey was not picked. The 33-year-old is a latecomer to international football, and it will be fascinating to see if he picks up any minutes. Bellamy has also confirmed that Aaron Ramsey will be captaining the squad. Though he’s getting on a bit, he is still a very influential player for the team.
Watch Out For Classy Calhanoglu
Turkey, on the other hand, is almost at full strength. Bertug Yildirim and Merih Demiral are missing after they picked up suspensions at the Euros, but apart from that, they won’t be missing too many big names. Their star player and skipper Hakan Calhanoglu will be available, and he should feature in their midfield.
When it comes to their recent head-to-heads, Wales and Turkey know each other quite well. They’ve played each other twice in the past eighteen months, with the most recent game ending in a 1-1 draw. I am seeing something similar happening on Friday night, though I think Turkey might edge it. I don’t see there being too many goals, as Wales will probably play a back three and will try to be defensive. Therefore, I am going to go with Turkey to win by under 2.5 goals at 4/1.
Wales v Turkey Selection
Turkey to win in Under 2.5 goals (4/1)
