GOOD AFTERNOON FROM ISTANBUL
Welcome to our live coverage of the World Cup 2022 qualifying match between Turkey and the Netherlands at the Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadi.
The two national teams were recently drawn together along with Gibraltar, Latvia, Montenegro and Norway on Group G, from which only two teams can go through to the finals in Qatar next year.
Both squads, who are major group favourites, are also set to compete in the summer’s delayed Euro 2020 where the Netherlands are going to take on Austria, North Macedonia and Ukraine whereas Turkey will square off against Italy, Switzerland and Wales.
But the Euros will have to wait as the two nations will have to juggle the World Cup qualifiers during the international break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Netherlands manager Frank de Boer, who took over in September replacing Ronald Koeman after he abruptly decided to join Barcelona, will be without Liverpool star defender Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk is still nursing an anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in October at the Merseyside derby and his participation in the summer’s Euros is still uncertain.
However, De Boer received a major boost for tonight’s game as he will have Lyon star Memphis Depay available after the French government decided to make some exceptions to their traveling restrictions and mandatory quarantine regulations
Valencia goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen has recently recovered from a muscle injury and is set to return between the sticks to replace Norwich ace Tim Krul.
Turkey manager Senol Gunes, though, will be without Leicester winger Cengiz Under as he is still nursing a knock and thus Lille player Yusuf Yazıci is expected to replace him
