On Wednesday, Turkey defeated 10-man Czechia 2-1 with 2 goals from Hakan Çalhanoglu and Cenk Tosun. This victory sent their opponents home and set up a last-16 match with Austria in Euro 2024.
Czechia, who had to win to have a chance of moving on from the previous competition, were dealt a devastating blow when midfielder AntonÃn Barák was sent out in the 20th minute for a harsh second yellow card.
In a wild finale to the game, Czechia’s Tomás Chorý received a red card in a scuffle at the final whistle.
A new record for the European Championship was established by the referee, who gave a total of 18 yellow cards and 2 red ones. Çalhanoglu was given one of these yellow cards, meaning he would miss Turkey’s first game in the knockout phase.
Both sides pushed hard from the outset in a rowdy environment on a sweltering night, with Turkish supporters flooding in and outnumbering the Czechs due to their large diaspora in Germany.
Calhanoglu, a 30-year-old playmaker, scored his first goal at his third Euros in the 50th minute, prompting fireworks and excitement from spectators. He scored with a low shot over goalie Jindrich Stanek, who looked to damage his shoulder with a previous save and left the game injured after the goal.
Tomás Soucek headed home in the 66th minute after a long throw-in that created mayhem, setting up an exciting climax, after teenage Arda Güler for some reason missed a close-range goal to put Turkey two up. Czechia quickly equalized.
Tosun scored Turkey’s victory in stoppage time, eliciting loud celebrations on his bench and among Turkish supporters. The triumph erased the Turks’ bad memories from Euro 2020 when they went home after surrendering eight goals in three losses.
“We all worked together superbly,” defender Mert Muldur said. “We had a difficult time against such squads in the past… “I believe we have improved ourselves.”
Turkey advanced to the round of 16 by virtue of their two victories in three games, finishing second in Group F behind Portugal on goal differential. On July 2nd, they will travel to Leipzig to face Austria.
“When we chatted with our buddies before the camp, all we wanted was to escape out of the group. We fulfilled our pledge and quit the gang. “Now we will go step by step,” stated Turkey winger Baris Alper Yilmaz. “We are very happy.”
The Czechs finished last in their group, with just one point.
“It is a disappointment because we all wanted to advance,” captain Soucek said, criticizing the “disrespectful” soft red card’s impact on the game.
“We were pleased to get the equalizer,” he said. “Everyone worked to their full potential. The spirit was high. Just a terrible ending… “But that’s football.”
Portugal was already promised first place in the group, but they lost to Georgia, who advanced as one of the best third-place finishers.
