With their 3-0 win today, Turkiye registered a 6-1 win aggregate win over Hungary to secure a historic promotion to the UEFA Nations League A, giving them a chance to compete against the top sides in Europe in the next cycle.
Arda Guler was back in the starting lineup against Hungary in the second leg of the UEFA Nations League promotion play-offs after missing the first leg due to suspension. The 20-year-old Madrid midfielder marked his return with a brilliant strike to double Turkiye’s lead in the first half.
The nimble footed Turkish midfielder looked on song today, playing in the hole behind the striker. He was involved in play, playing short exchanges with other players and having the opportunity to arrive late into the box. His eagerness to get on the ball was a positive and his ability in the tight spaces allowed him to win four fouls for his side as well. His positioning in between the lines was really good as well.
He was solid in his duels as well, winning five of his six duels in the game. His defensive workrate was also commendable as he covered a lot of ground, won the ball back a couple of times for his side. His involvement in both the progression and chance creation is an encouraging sign for Madrid in the approaching business end of the season.
Inter Milan Hakan Calhanoglu scored from the spot to opne Turkiye’s account for the night and Abdulkerim Bardakci increased the cushion to three in the 90th minute to seal the deal. It was a fairly solid both ways performance from Turkiye over the two legs and they never let Hungary get back into the game.
