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| PROBABLE LINE-UPS |
TURKEY  Volkan G. Gonul, Servet, Egemen, Hakan Balta Hamit, S. Sahin, S. Inan, Emre, Arda Turan Burak | CROATIA  Pletikosa Corluka, Simunic, Vida, Pamic Srna, Modric, Vukojevic, Perisic Eduardo, Olic |
Despite making his Real Madrid debut last week, Nuri Sahin was not selected in Guus Hiddink's 24-man squad for the clashes with Croatia. Elsewhere, defensive mainstay Gokhan Zan misses out, and will be replaced by either Egemen Korkmaz or Giray Kacar.
Croatia will enter the match without two of their first choice defenders. Ivan Strinic is a long-term injury concern, while Lyon's Dejan Lovren was forced to withdraw from the squad. Strinic's absence could lead to a debut for Manuel Pamic,
Elsewhere, Niko Kranjcar has not been called up due to a continuing injury problem, meaning Ivan Perisic could be handed a start.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- These two sides met in the Euro 2008 quarter-final, with Turkey emerging victorious thanks to a penalty
shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
- Turkey have reached three of the last four editions of the European Championship, failing to qualify only for Euro 2004.
- Burak Yilmaz has scored 13 goals in just eight Super Lig games, and netted the vital strike against Azerbaijan to ensure his nation qualified for the play-off stage.
- Croatia have qualified for international competition from both of their previous play-offs - beating Ukraine 3-1 on aggregate to reach the 1998 World Cup, before narrowly beating Slovenia to advance to Euro 2004.
- Gordon Schildenfeld and Jerko Leko both played in Turkey's Super Lig with Besiktas and Bucaspor respectively.
- Croatia reached the quarter-finals of Euro 96, having beaten Turkey 1-0 at Nottingham's City Ground in the group stage.
Prediction
This is certainly the most evenly matched tie in the play-off round, but home advantage should see the hosts triumph, but only narrowly.
Editor's Prediction
Turkey 2-1 Croatia 
