Portugal v Turkey Live Commentary & Result, 24/03/2022, WC Qualification Europe

That's all for today, goodbye!

Portugal are one step closer to the World Cup will play North Macedonia, who scored late to pull off a shock victory against Italy, in the play-off final on Tuesday.

Portugal are through to the play-off final after beating Turkey 3-1. The hosts looked comfortable in the first half, taking a 2-0 lead into half-time thanks to goals from Otavio and Jota, with Silva also hitting the post in the build-up to the opening goal. Turkey rallied after the break and pulled one back through Yilmaz after a lovely bit of build-up play. The captain then had the chance to equalise from the spot after Fonte fouled Unal, but he hit the bar. Matheus slotted in late on to seal the win before Ronaldo hit the bar in the dying seconds of the match.

90' + 6' FULL-TIME: PORTUGAL 3-1 TURKEY.

90' + 6' OFF THE BAR! One last chance for Portugal as Joao Felix gets in behind again, but Cakir gets across to smother his shot. The rebound falls to Ronaldo, who gets it out of his feet before taking aim, but it smacks back off the crossbar.

D. Toköz

Yellow Card

90' + 6' Tokoz clips the back of Leao's heels to stop the run and ends up with a late booking.

Rafael Leão

Assist

90' + 4' Leao made a great run through the middle and timed his pass into Matheus just before he strayed offside.

Matheus Nunes

Goal

90' + 4' MATHEUS SEALS IT FOR PORTUGAL! Turkey's free-kick is cleared by Pereira and Portugal are deadly on the counter this time! Leao plays it through to Matheus, who has to stretch to bring it under control. He then knocks it around Calik and coolly slots it into the back of the empty net. 3-1 Portugal!

90' + 2' GREAT CHANCE! Portugal break quickly on the counter again and Joao Felix cuts inside from the right before having a go from a tight angle. Calik pushes it away, but only as far as Ronaldo. He can't sort his feet out quick enough though and tamely pokes it into the keeper's gloves.

S. Dursun

B. Kutlu

90' Turkey's final change is an attacking one as they chase a late equaliser that will take this game to extra time. Kutlu goes off, with Dursun replacing him.

Rafael Leão

Otávio

89' And Otavio also makes way, with Leao on for him.

Matheus Nunes

João Moutinho

88' Moutinho takes a slow walk off, with Matheus on in his place.

Nuno Mendes

Raphaël Guerreiro

88' Portugal are making a triple change here in an attempt to try and run the clock down. Guerreiro is the first to go off, with Mendes replacing him.

João Moutinho

Yellow Card

86' Moutinho is the latest player to go into the book as he slides in with a late tackle on Calhanoglu.

B. Yılmaz

Penalty Miss

85' YILMAZ HITS THE BAR! It's an awful penalty from Turkey's captain! He takes a short, slow run-up and opens his foot up as he hits the spot-kick. Costa dives to his right, but it didn't matter as Yilmaz smacks the shot off the top of the bar. Still 2-1 Portugal!

83' PENALTY TO TURKEY! The referee is asked to go over and have a look at the monitor and after watching the replays, he deems Fonte to have fouled Unal and points to the spot.

82' PENALTY SHOUT! Unal has stayed down inside Portugal's box, and he's claiming that Turkey should have a penalty. He hooked the ball up and Fonte kicked the bottom of his foot in a late attempt at a clearance.

D. Toköz

O. Kökçü

80' And Kokcu is also taken off, with Tokoz on in his place.

Y. Yazıcı

Z. Çelik

80' Turkey are making a double change as well, with Celik going off for Yazici.

William Carvalho

Bruno Fernandes

80' Second change for Portugal now, and it's a defensive one as they look to protect their lead. Fernandes makes way, with Carvalho replacing him.

78' Turkey are still causing Portugal a lot of problems at the back and Fonte just sits back as Under cuts inside. He tries to curl a shot into the far post, but it bounces awkwardly in front of him and he sends it wide.

M. Demiral

Yellow Card

76' Dalot attempts a throughball towards Otavio, but Demiral drags him down. He gives away a free-kick in a good area and earns himself a booking.

75' GREAT CHANCE! Guerreiro does brilliantly to keep the ball in play down the left before whipping a great cross to Otavio, who's peeled away on the far side. He has a free header at goal, but he thumps his header just wide of the back post.

73' The ball bounces off Pereira before he has time to react and Calhanoglu pounces onto it. He takes the shot quickly from outside the box but drags it well wide of the far post.

João Félix

Diogo Jota

71' Portugal are making their first change now, and it's Jota that's going off for Joao Felix.

H. Çalhanoğlu

Yellow Card

69' Calhanoglu's first touch gets away from him and he drags back Otavio in an attempt to keep hold of the ball, which earns him a yellow card.

69' There are shouts for a penalty from Turkey as Yilmaz is knocked over in the box. Pereira was tight to him but there wasn't a lot in it and the referee tells him to get back to his feet.

68' Portugal are all over the place as Turkey knock it through midfield again and Calhanoglu feeds it into Yilmaz. He knocks it past Fonte, but the defender recovers well to get back and block his low cross.

E. Ünal

K. Aktürkoğlu

66' Turkey are making a change in the aftermath of their goal. It's Akturkoglu that's going off, with Unal on for him.

C. Ünder

Assist

65' Despite being closed down by Portugal defenders, Under keeps his cool, takes a touch when he gets the ball, before laying it back off to Yilmaz.

B. Yılmaz

Goal

65' YILMAZ PULLS ONE BACK! It's a lovely goal from Turkey! It's switched out to Kutlu on the left, who then squares it to Yilmaz on the edge of the box. He plays a one-two with Under, which gets him in behind Pereira, and he slots it past Costa, who came rushing off his line to close him down. 2-1!

64' Portugal are on the attack again and Jota is breaking down the left. He cuts inside, but just before he can get into the box, Kokcu slides in to take it off him.

62' Otavio bursts into the box and Soyuncu just can't get back quick enough. Ronaldo is up with him in support, so the winger tries to fizz it into him, but Cakir gets down to intercept it.

60' Portugal are unbeaten in their last 15 European World Cup qualifying matches when leading at half-time (W14 D1), dating back to September 2008 against Denmark (lost 2-3).

58' It's a brilliant switch of play out to Dalot from Moutinho and he has time to bring it down before picking out a cross into the middle. Jota goes for the volley in the middle, but his standing leg slips as he strikes it and it loops onto the roof of the net.

56' JOTA! Costa goes long with a clearance and Jota times his run perfectly again, beating Kabak to it. Cakir rushes out of his box, but the forward knocks it around him before aiming for the empty net from range, but he fires it over.

54' Jota has drifted out to the right and he loops a great cross into the middle of the box, looking for Ronaldo's run. He peels away to the far post at the last moment, and Cakir gets out to punch it away from him.

52' Kabak has his pocket picked by Jota just outside the box and the forward knocks it past Demiral to try and get in on goal. Ronaldo gets in his way though, and that gives Kabak just enough time to get back and deny him a shot.

50' Portugal seem to have picked up where they left off, as they keep Turkey penned back in their own half. They're not moving it upfield as quickly though, and Pereira sees a throughball to Jota cut out.

48' GOOD SAVE! Kutlu manages to spin away from Otavio near the corner flag before slicing it straight to Silva on the edge of his own box. The midfielder drags it past Demiral before curling a shot on goal, but Cakir pushes it away.

46' Portugal get us back underway for the second half!

Santos' side looked comfortable for the most part, though a few mistakes at the back could've proved costly if Turkey had been more clinical. He'll be hoping for more of the same in the second half though. Turkey had some bright moments, creating some good chances, but Kuntz will be asking for a little bit more if they want to get themselves back into this game.

Portugal take a 2-0 lead over Turkey into half-time. The hosts have had the better chances so far in this game and took the lead early on. Silva's low shot bounced off the inside of the post and Otavio reacted quickest to turn it over the line. Kutlu nodded an effort just wide and Kokcu saw an effort tipped wide at the other end before Jota squeezed in a header at the far post to double Portugal's lead.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: PORTUGAL 2-0 TURKEY.

45' + 1' Portugal are keeping the pressure on here and Pereira lifts a lovely ball over the top to Dalot. He squares it into Fernandes, who spins before finding Jota, but he can't find a way past Demiral.

44' Turkey move it quickly after the restart again and they work it out to Calhanoglu on the left. He curls a good cross into the box to pick out Akturkoglu, but his header is straight at Costa.

Otávio

Assist

42' Otavio has time to get his head up and pick out Jota at the far post, adding an assist to his earlier goal.

Diogo Jota

Goal

42' JOTA SCORES! Portugal kept Turkey penned back inside their own box and Moutinho picks out Otavio on the right. He lifts a lovely cross into the box and Jota, who timed his run perfectly, drifts away at the far post and nods his header down and squeezes it past Calik. 2-0 Portugal!

40' The hosts are back to dominating possession at the moment and Ronaldo picks out Silva in a pocket of space through the middle. He tries to slide it straight into Jota, but it's a poor ball that's cut out by Soyuncu.

38' Portugal break quickly on the counter again, and Fernandes bursts forward down the right. He has Jota up with him in support and tries to square it into the forward, but Kabak was tight to him and managed to cut it out.

37' Calhanoglu takes the free-kick short to Kutlu down the left and he lifts a dangerous cross onto the edge of the six-yard box. Two Portugal defenders dive for it at the same time as Yilmaz, but none of them gets anywhere near it.

Diogo Jota

Yellow Card

35' When the referee's whistle went, Jota quickly jumped up to square off against Celik, so he's booked for dissent.

Z. Çelik

Yellow Card

34' Celik has his hands all over Jota as he tries to get the forward out of the way in his attempts to win the ball. He's shown the first yellow card of the game.

33' Portugal have scored five goals in the first 15 minutes of the first half; only Germany (seven) and Turkey (six) have scored more in the European World Cup qualifiers this season.

31' Fernandes is standing over another free-kick on the right for Portugal, and it's a good delivery again. Ronaldo heads his effort across goal, sending it wide, but it wouldn't have counted anyway as he was offside.

29' Fonte does well to keep hold of the ball as three Turkey players close him down and he gets it safely out to Dalot. Ronaldo has space to run into down the right, but the pass into him is overhit and Cakir comfortably collects it.

27' GOOD SAVE! Celik's low cross is poked away by Guerreiro, but Kokcu is there to win it back for Turkey. He brushes Silva aside before hitting a low shot towards the near post, and Costa gets down quickly to tip it wide.

25' It's Dalot that loses possession deep in his own half this time and Akturkoglu squares it to Yilmaz on the edge of the D. He takes the shot early and ends up dragging it well wide of the far post.

23' CLOSE! Fonte slides in with a perfectly-timed tackle to stop Under from getting in on goal, but the forward chases down the loose ball before chipping a cross into the far post. Kutlu rises to meet it but nods his effort just wide of the target.

21' Turkey's first shot comes from Under after a sloppy bit of possession at the back from Portugal. The ball bounces to the forward, and he takes it quickly, not realising he had more time, but his effort is straight at Costa.

19' Akturkoglu's throughball is cut out, but Turkey quickly win back possession on their right. Under spots Akturkoglu's run through the middle, but his pass is too heavy, and Costa rushes off his line to collect it.

17' It looks like Portugal are in again after Turkey lose possession in midfield. It's quick thinking for Pereira, who spots Ronaldo peeling off the back of Soyuncu, but he set off too early, and the offside flag goes up.

Otávio

Goal

15' OTAVIO SCORES! Jota can't find the space for a shot, so he squares it to Silva on the edge of the box, but his low shot rebounds back off the post. Otavio reacts quickest in the crowded box and hits his shot back across goal. Cakir is scrambling back across his line, but he can only help it into the net. 1-0 Portugal!

13' Turkey just can't get a touch on the ball at the moment as Otavio floats a cross onto the edge of the box which Fernandes glances on. Ronaldo brings it down behind him and takes it around Kabak before drilling a shot straight at Cakir.

11' GREAT CHANCE! Fernandes curls a wonderful free-kick into the six-yard box from the right. Jota times his run perfectly but ends up firing over from extremely close range. It looks like Kabak was pulling his shirt back, but the referee only points for a goal-kick.

9' CHANCE! It's well worked by the hosts again, with Silva knocking it out to Dalot on the right. He pulls it back to Ronaldo, who is hovering unmarked just inside the box, but his first-time shot is lifted high into the stands.

8' Portugal are starting to up the pressure now and Fernandes tries to pick out Ronaldo again. This time, it's cut out by Demiral, and Dalot is caught on his heels so he can't latch onto the throughball.

6' Costa goes long for Jota, but it's cleared by Demiral. He only gets it as far as Fernandes, who tries to lift it through the middle for Ronaldo first time, but Kokcu tracks back to intercept the pass.

4' Turkey are enjoying a good spell of possession, though it's all in front of Portugal. When Calhanoglu makes an attempt to drive forward, he's clipped by Silva, and wins a free-kick on the halfway line.

2' Portugal quickly win the ball back from the restart and Dalot bursts down the right before clipping a cross into the middle from the byline. Ronaldo is just behind Celik, and there's a clash of heads between the two as the defender clears it.

1' Calhanoglu gets the game underway for Turkey!

The teams are out on the pitch, the national anthems have been sung, and kick-off is just moments away!

Portugal have won six of their eight previous meetings with Turkey in all competitions (L2). It was Turkey who won the most recent outing between them though, seeing Portugal off 3-1 in an international friendly in June 2012.

Stefan Kuntz makes four changes to his side after their win over Montenegro in their last game. Kabak, Kutlu, Kokcu and Under are all brought in, with Erkin and Omur starting on the bench. Muldur is also amongst the subs after serving a ban.

Fernando Santos makes five changes from the defeat to Serbia last time out, with Costa, Dalot, Guerreiro, Fernandes and Otavio all coming into the side. Pereira drops into the back line, with Ruben Dias injured. Joao Cancelo and Renato Sanches are both suspended, while Patricio and Mendes drop to the bench.

TURKEY SUBS: Dorukhan Tokoz, Sinan Bolat, Serdar Dursun, Serdar Aziz, Enes Unal, Caner Erkin, Taylan Antalyali, Kaan Ayhan, Abdulkadir Omur, Altay Bayindir, Mert Muldur, Yusuf Yazici.

TURKEY STARTING XI (3-5-2): Ugurcan Cakir; Ozan Kabak, Merih Demiral, Caglar Soyuncu; Mehmet Zeki Celik, Berkan Kutlu, Orkun Kokcu, Hakan Calhanoglu, Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu; Cengiz Under, Burak Yilmaz.

PORTUGAL SUBS: Matheus, Cedric Soares, Vitinha, Andre Silva, Goncalo Guedes, Tiago Djalo, Nuno Mendes, Jose Sa, William Carvalho, Rafael Leao, Joao Felix, Rui Patricio.

PORTUGAL STARTING XI (4-4-2): Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Danilo Pereira, Jose Fonte, Raphael Guerreiro; Bernardo Silva, Joao Moutinho, Bruno Fernandes, Otavio; Diogo Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal suffered a last-minute final day defeat to Serbia in their qualifying campaign; a win that saw Serbia top the group above today's hosts. They were unbeaten in six games in all competitions leading up to that defeat, and are looking to get back to winning ways in an attempt to reach their sixth consecutive World Cup. Turkey won each of their last three qualifying games but left it too late to finish above Netherlands in Group G. They're hoping to make their third-ever World Cup appearance and their first in 20 years since finishing third in 2002.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup play-off semi-final between Portugal and Turkey at the Estadio do Dragao!

Portugal v Turkey Live Commentary, 24/03/2022

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