The Turkish National Football Team will face Iceland today at Gürsel Aksel Stadium in the second match of Group 4 of the UEFA Nations League B. After returning from Wales with 1 point, the team, with the support of its fans, is focused on defeating their tough opponent and climbing to the top of the group. Icelandic football reporters made exclusive statements to Spor Arena ahead of the big match.
The Turkish National Football Team, which drew 0-0 against Wales in their first group match, has set its sights on Iceland. The Turkish side, hosting their opponent in Izmir, is determined to win with their talented and experienced players. Missing red-carded Barış Alper Yılmaz, Turkey is aiming for a definite victory. Responding to our questions ahead of the match, which is crucial for group leadership, Icelandic colleagues shared their analyses of the recent performances of both teams. The journalists also revealed which side is closer to victory.
Hörður Snævar Jónsson (433.IS): “COACH AGE HAREIDE IS DOING A GOOD JOB”
I believe the atmosphere in the Icelandic National Team is currently good. Our young team is gaining more experience and trying to show it on the field. The experiences we’ve gained are helping us a lot. Although coach Age Hareide hasn’t won as many matches as we hoped, he is doing a good job. For Hareide to gain the support of the Icelandic public, he needs to achieve good results in the UEFA Nations League. Our captain Johann Berg Gudmundsson is our most important player. The talent of Gylfi Sigurdsson, who returned to the national team with the Montenegro match, is also crucial for us. Orri Oskarsson, who recently signed with Real Sociedad, is a player who can make an impact even when he comes off the bench.
“TURKEY HAS A HIGHER CHANCE OF WINNING”
Turkey is a very good team with some key and experienced players. They seem to be improving. I was surprised by Turkey’s performance in the European Championship because, for the first time in a while, there seemed to be unity and harmony in the squad. I think Turkey has a higher chance of winning this match. They have their fans behind them and are at a better level as a team. Arda Güler stands out as the best and most dangerous player in Turkey. If he continues like this, he could become one of the best players in the world.
Guðmundur Benediktsson (STOD2): “AGE HAREIDE’S EXPERIENCE IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE TEAM”
The match against Montenegro wasn’t our best, but it was a very comfortable game with two goals from set pieces. I think the relationship between coach Hareide and the players is in very good shape. Age Hareide has a lot of experience, and this is very important for the team. Orri Óskarsson, who signed with Real Sociedad, scored the goal in Friday’s match against Montenegro. Orri is full of confidence. Gylfi Sigurdsson has returned to the team, and he is always our dangerous player.
“ICELAND MUST STOP HAKAN ÇALHANOĞLU FROM CONTROLLING THE GAME”
Turkey performed very well in Euro 2024, in my opinion. I really enjoyed watching their matches. You played an equal game against your opponent in the quarterfinal match against the Netherlands. So, you should be proud of your team’s performance in Europe. Turkey earned a good point against Wales, even though they played with 10 men for the last 30 minutes. If Barış Alper Yılmaz hadn’t been sent off, I believe you would have won the 3 points. I am very excited about Turkey’s squad. With young players like Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, I think you will have exciting moments in the future. Hakan Çalhanoğlu is my favorite player in Turkey, and he had a good chance to rest during the Wales match. Iceland must prevent him from controlling the game.
“PLAYING AWAY AGAINST TURKEY IS NEVER EASY”
I think this will be a very tough match for Iceland. Playing away against Turkey is never easy, but we’ve had good results in Turkey before. So, we have to be confident about that. However, missing key players like Gudmundsson (Fiorentina), Ingason (Panathinaikos), and Haraldsson (Lille) will make things more difficult for us. Getting 1 point would be a really good result for Iceland.
Valur Páll Eiríksson (STOD2): “THE WIN AGAINST MONTENEGRO BOOSTED THE TEAM’S CONFIDENCE”
The atmosphere in the team is quite good. The players seem to have embraced Hareide’s style of play. After tough years, it’s nice to see the young players stepping up. The win against Montenegro gave the team even more confidence. The team hadn’t won many matches in the past few years, but I have a feeling they are finding their rhythm. Iceland will be without Hákon Haraldsson, who plays for Lille, but Gylfi Sigurdsson has returned to the team. We have a promising forward in Orri Óskarsson, who recently signed for Real Sociedad. Orri will be a threat to Turkey. Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson, who scored the winning goal against Montenegro and in June against England at Wembley, always plays well for the national team.
“TURKEY SHOWED ITS CLASS AT EURO 2024”
Turkey didn’t look great in the lead-up to Euro 2024, losing to Hungary, Austria (6-1), and Poland. But they still managed to show their class in the tournament. They earned good wins against Georgia and the Czech Republic. They also got revenge against Austria after the big defeat in March. You even led the match against the Netherlands for more than 30 minutes. So, Turkey seems to be a team finding its rhythm, just like Iceland. There are also exciting young players in the Turkish team, just like in Iceland. We think players like Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız, and Orkun Kökçü will be influential in this match. You also have an experienced player, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who is very dangerous with his shooting ability and set pieces.
“THE PLAYERS ARE EXCITED TO PLAY IN FRONT OF THE CRAZY TURKISH FANS”
Most of Iceland’s quality lies in the midfield, but there are defensive concerns. Iceland has had to constantly change its defensive line in recent months, and Hareide mentioned in a post-match interview that he would make changes due to fatigue for the match in Turkey. Iceland managed to keep a clean sheet against Montenegro, and our goalkeeper put in a very strong performance. Icelandic players are excited to play in front of the crazy Turkish fans. They will go there to enjoy the experience. Iceland scored two goals from set pieces against Montenegro, and I think the team will try to score similar goals against Turkey. They will also try to prevent Turkey from showing their quality in attack.
