Turkey v Portugal: Back defences to stretched in Dortmund | OneFootball

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Joao Cancelo knows which way the goals total could go today

Portugal can pick off Turkey in today's clash of the Group F's top two, says Tobias Gourlay

Turkey v PortugalSaturday 17:00 (Live on ITV1)

In Leipzig last night, France sans Kylian Mbappe couldn't break down the Dutch defence and the game finished goalless.

We're in Dortmund today for the clash of the two teams who won their opening match in Group F. Portugal showed resolve to come from behind and score a late winner against the Czech Republic, while Turkey's attacking unit impressed in a 3-1 win over Georgia.

In March 2022, Portugal won a World Cup playoff against Turkey 3-1. That was the last meeting of these two and we fancy they could serve up a few more goals together today...

When Portugal conceded first to the Czechs on Tuesday, that game in Leipzig became the fifth game in six that Roberto Martinez's men have conceded. All four of their games since June have delivered Over 2.5 Goals - and that was despite the Czechs adopting some pretty defensive tactics. Turkey look much more likely to try and meet fire with fire.

There might be a defensive issue brewing for the Portuguese - they do have a 41-year-old centreback - and there are some young Turks who might be able to take advantage. Teenage forwards Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz both caught the eye in Tuesday's win over Georgia. Real Madrid's Arda scored a fine goal, and the pair brought a new dynamism to Turkish attacks.

With Turkey looking capable of grabbing a goal, both teams to score is accordingly odds on. But there's another plausible scenario in which Portugal's own plethora of attacking talent - Bernardo Silva, Rafa Leao, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha... don't think we've missed anyone - shreds Turkey's own questionable defence and the favourites dominate the game. (It was only in March that Austria stuck six past Turkey in a friendly.) To cover that sort of outcome too, we'll take Portugal to win and Over 2.5 Goals to land.

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