Both nations named preliminary squads for Euro 2016 this week, England manager Roy Hodgson selecting an initial 26 names and Turkey boss Fatih Terim calling up 31 players for his side’s upcoming non-competitive matches. Both managers will presumably be focused on performance more than result this weekend, with the game giving the two men an opportunity to try out different tactics, formations and selections as they attempt to get their teams in the best shape possible for the big kick-off in three weeks’ time.
England are among the favourites to triumph at the Euros, with Spain, France and Germany the only sides considered to be stronger than Hodgson’s charges. The Three Lions have a relatively young and new-look group of players at their disposal, and there is a hope among supporters that the current crop will feel unburdened by the underachievement and failings of the so-called Golden Generation, who could only manage quarter-final appearances at Euro 2004 and the World Cups in 2002 and 2006.
Qualifying with 10 wins out of 10 – as well as scoring 31 goals and conceding only three – has understandably boosted self-belief and confidence in the England camp, with friendly victories against France and Germany also demonstrating why Hodgson and his players have a chance of glory this summer. While the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Jamie Vardy have had fine seasons with their clubs, though, they are still unproven at this level and it remains to be seen how they might react to adversity or a high-pressure situation in a knockout fixture.
Turkey, meanwhile, have been mentioned as potential dark horses, although their tough draw – Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic are their opponents in the group stage – means they may have to aim to finish as one of the four best third-placed sides. Turkey finished third in their qualifying group but reached the Euros without the need of a play-off by virtue of having the best record of all other teams who finished outside the top two once results against the bottom-placed nation in each segment had been discarded.
Given that the result is not the most important aspect of Sunday afternoon’s match at the Etihad, it is difficult to predict what the outcome will be. Taking everything into account, though, an England victory in which both teams find the back of the net looks most likely, with the odds on a 2-1 or 3-1 home triumph worth exploring.
It is similarly difficult to decide on a first goalscorer as the line-ups are uncertain – although Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling and Marcus Rashford will definitely be absent having taken part in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace – but Jack Wilshere could be a good outside bet, with Hodgson likely to give him as much playing time as possible after another injury-hit campaign with club side Arsenal.
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