Monday, March 28, 2011

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29.03. (Tue) 19:30 Turkey - Austria

DID YOU KNOW?

* Turkey are currently fourth in Group A with six points from their four matches thus far, with two wins and as many defeats.

* Guus Hiddink's men have gone four games without a win, suffering away defeats to Germany and Azerbaijan in the group and to Hiddink's countrymen the Netherlands in a friendly last November.

* Since Arda Turan's winning goal in the 3-2 win over Belgium, Turkey have gone 372 minutes without finding the back of the net.

* Austria lie in second spot in Group A behind runaway leaders Germany with seven points from four matches as they bid to qualify for their second successive European Championship.

* Like their opponents tomorrow, Austria have also lost to the Netherlands in recent times, losing 3-1 in a friendly last month.

* Austria have only ever won once away to Turkey - in October 1977 during the qualifying campaign for the 1978 World Cup. They have lost on each of their further three trips to Turkey, in 1983, 1989 and 2001.

LAST MEETING

November 19, 2008: Austria 2-4 Turkey

Wolfsburg striker Tuncay was the star of the show in the previous meeting between these two sides, which was in a friendly. After Andreas Hoezl's opener had been cancelled out by Mehmet Aurelio, the then Middlesbrough man struck a hat-trick in twenty minutes, interrupted only by Hoezl's second goal on 53 minutes, which gave the home side some hope.


PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Turkey: Demirel ; Gonul, Gungor, Servet, Balta ; Mehmet Topal, Ekici ; Hamit Altintop, Selcuk Inan, Arda Turan ; Cenk Tosun

Austria: Macho ; Dag, Dragovic, Pogatetz, Fuchs ; Baumgartlinger, Alaba ; Harnik, Junuzovic, Arnautovic ; Janko

Prediction

Turkey 2-0 Austria