New Delhi: It may seem like a long time ago, but Aleksandar Mitrovic’s late goal is still fresh in the minds of Portugal fans. The Fulham man’s late strike ensured Serbia went through to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and Portugal had to settle for second place in the group, meaning they have to battle it out via the playoffs. What hurt Portugal more than the loss to Serbia was their goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland, which put them in a tricky situation. Football fans worldwide know very well that either one of Portugal and Italy will be sitting at home watching the World Cup in Qatar, provided we get the dream playoff final between the two sides. However, before they can think of playing whoever in the final, Portugal have to manoeuvre the tricky semifinal against Turkey. Fernando Santos’s men come into the playoff on the back of a decent group stage record, with 17 points and +11 goal difference to boot. Turkey, meanwhile, are here after finishing runners-up in the group, where Netherlands finished first. Stefan Kuntz’s side did their best to make the best late in the group stages, after taking maximum points from their last three games, only to fall short of their required target. Turkey have not featured in the World Cup for nearly two decades, after a performance worthy of a bronze medal in 2002. That was also their second participation in the premier tournament, with the previous one coming way back in 1951.
The Portugal vs Turkey World Cup Qualifiers Match will start at 1:15 AM IST on Friday, March 25.
The Portugal vs Turkey World Cup Qualifiers Match will be played at Estadio do Dragao.
The Portugal vs Turkey World Cup Qualifiers Match will be telecasted on Sony Sports in India.
The Portugal vs Turkey World Cup Qualifiers Match will be available for streaming on SonyLIV.
