Defeat for Salih Özcan and Türkiye against Portugal in Dortmund

Salih Özcan and Türkiye were handed a crushing 3-0 defeat by Portugal in Dortmund on Saturday evening, but remain well placed to qualify for the Euro 2024 round of 16.

A riveting matchday two of the Euro 2024 group stage came to an end on Saturday with Türkiye taking on Portugal at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund. Portugal managed to get the three points in the end, with goals from Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, and an own goal from Samet Akaydin, lifting them to a 3-0 win.

Türkiye fought hard over the course of the 90 minutes, but fell to a well deserved defeat in the end. Borussia Dortmund defensive midfielder Salih Özcan was an unused substitute for his side.

Despite the heavy defeat, Türkiye have an excellent chance of qualifying for the Euro 2024 round of 16. With three points to their name, Vincenzo Montella’s side are second in Group F. They hold a two point lead over both Czechia and Georgia.

Türkiye will face Czechia on matchday three and could qualify for the round of 16 even with the defeat as one of the four best third placed teams. A draw will, in all likelihood, help them secure second place in Group F.

Also on Saturday, Belgium got their Euro 2024 campaign back on track by claiming a 2-0 win over Romania. Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne were both on target for the Red Devils, as they boosted their hopes of qualifying for the round of 16. All three teams in Group E now have three points, and the race to reach the next round is all set to go down to the wire.