Turkey vs Montenegro

Turkey and Montenegro lock horns in conflicting moods as their UEFA Nations League campaign continues at the Samsun 19 Mayis Stadium.

Unfazed by a gut-wrenching quarter-final elimination at Euro 2024 against the Netherlands, Turkey enjoyed a decent start to their third League B campaign, drawing 0-0 against Wales on matchday one before trouncing Iceland 3-1 last time out. Vincenzo Montella’s men commence this round as Group B4 leaders and will look to solidify their position at the top against a Montenegro side they’ve not lost to across their four previous H2Hs (W2, D2). Despite their outstanding record of seven wins across their last ten home outings (W7, D2, L1), it’s worth noting that Turkey’s abovementioned triumph against Iceland was their first home match since October 2023. Worryingly for Montella, his men have been vulnerable at the back, keeping just two clean sheets across their last 13 internationals under his stewardship.

In contrast to Turkey’s impressive Group B4 start, Montenegro lost both matches in September by a 4-1 aggregate scoreline, including a 2-1 home loss to Wales that saw them concede twice inside the opening three minutes. Ominously, those two failures form part of Montenegro’s woeful four-game losing streak, accounting for their worst such run since gaining independence in 2007! Despite their notorious inconsistency, the Brave Falcons haven’t drawn any of their last 11 internationals (W5, L6), with the winner on the day taking a 1-0 lead on ten occasions, highlighting the importance of a quick-fire start. That could be an issue for Robert Prosinecki’s side, considering they’ve failed to score inside 25 minutes across their last seven outings.