Our prediction for this Nations League match:
High-flying Turkey will be aiming to keep their 100% record in group 1 intact when they take on Lithuania on Tuesday evening. The Turks aim to get their job done in the UEFA Nations League as soon as possible, and they are likely to go all guns blazing at the former Soviet Republic. Hakan Calhanoglu could be rested against Lithuania, while Fenerbahce forward Serdar Dursun returns to the starting XI after scoring as a substitute against Luxembourg.
The Lithuanians, on the other hand, are stuck at the bottom of the table, with the team losing each of their three group games. David face Goliath in Izmir; therefore, anything but a routine home win would be a major surprise. When the two sides met in Vilnius earlier in the process Turkey crushed Lithuania 6-0, which is yet another reason why home win has to be considered.
Highlighted Player (Hakan Calhanoglu):
Hakan Calhanoglu is another one in the long line of Turkish footballers who were born in Germany, so it is hardly surprising he came to prominence thanks to his performances in Bundesliga. The attacking midfielder with great vision and very good goalscoring record started his professional career at Karlsruher, scoring impressive 17 goals in 50 league outings to earn a move to Bundesliga side Hamburg.
The spell at Imtech Arena was merely a stepping stone for bigger things as 11 goals in his debut top flight campaign persuaded Bayer Leverkusen to splash nearly €15 million on his services. That proved a very good investment as Calhanoglu continued the rich vein of form, and it is now a matter of time before he joins one of European powerhouses.
The midfield maestro had a bright start to his career in the Turkey national team, scoring 5 goals in first 16 caps, and chances are he will become a leader for Milli Takim in the foreseeable future.
Highlighted Team (Lithuania):
Lithuania was occupied by Soviet Union in 1940 and 50 years later they regained their independence. The Lithuania national football team played their first official game on June 24, 1923, with the team suffering a heavy 5-0 loss to Estonia in Kaunas.
The former Soviet republic have yet to book their place at the finals of a major tournament, but they were competitive in the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifiers as they managed to play out a draw with Germany on the road. Lithuania managed to beat Scotland in the qualifiers for the 2004 European Championship, but they eventually failed to book their place at the showpiece tournament in Portugal. Marius Stankevicius is considered Lithuania’s most notable footballer as he played for the likes of Lazio, Hannover, Sampdoria, Sevilla and Valencia in the past.
LFF Stadium is the home ground of the Lithuania national football team and the venue, who capacity is 5.067, was opened in 2004. Lithuania play their home games on artificial turf.