Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
All eyes will be on Turk Telekom Stadyumu when Turkey and Netherlands face each other in the 2022 World Cup qualifier. Turkey failed to impress in the Nations League, with the team finishing the process in the ultimate position in the standings, and it is no wonder they are seen as underdogs in Wednesday’s clash. The good news for boss Senol Gunes is that Lille attacker Burak Yilmaz has overcome his injury. As always, a man to watch in the home team will be Milan ace Hakan Calhanoglu.
The Oranje, on the other hand, have established themselves as one of the best European teams. Even though Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk remains in the recovery room, we are tempted to put our money on the visitors. Experienced goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg returns to the squad for the first in five years. Anyhow, Netherlands are more of a team than Turkey, and we predict that Memphis Depay and Co. will prove their worth on the field.
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 (Netherlands):
Netherlands are well known for the colour of their shirts. The orange colour is the symbol of the Dutch national team and that is the reason why they got a nickname the Oranje. Netherlands won the 1988 European Championship in West Germany, with the team beating the Soviet Union in the title game.
A number of top-class players were part of the Netherlands national team that won the Euro 1988 trophy, with the likes of Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Erwin Koeman all starting the match against the Soviet Union. However, many people consider Johan Cruyff the best player in the history of Dutch football. Cruyff won three European Cups with Ajax as a player and he clinched the European Cup with Barcelona as a coach.
Johan Cruyff is well known as “the father of modern football”. Netherlands participated in the World Cup final on three occasions (1974, 1978, 2010), but they have yet to win the prestigious trophy. The Oranje welcome their rivals at Amsterdam ArenA, Philips Stadion and Stadion Feijenoord.