Turkey vs Spain Prediction for 8 September 2025 - Football

🔊 Which team from the Turkey vs. Spain matchup will secure their spot at the top of Group E? Both sides kicked off their qualifying campaigns with away victories. The Spaniards lived up to their status as outright favorites by thrashing Bulgaria, while Turkey's edge over Georgia wasn't as pronounced. Nevertheless, they managed to establish a first-half lead and held on until the final whistle. The upcoming clash is set for July 7 at the "City Stadium" in Konya, where the hosts traditionally enjoy strong support. Of course, "La Roja" are expected to lead the odds in every match within a group featuring Georgia, Turkey, and Bulgaria, but the Turks have a knack for springing surprises—especially on home turf. We'll assess the likelihood of another upset in our prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 The national teams have only faced each other once in modern history at major tournaments. This occurred during Euro 2016, where they were placed in a group with Croatia and the Czech Republic, finishing in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. In their head-to-head clash, Spain emerged victorious with a 3-0 win.

Turkey Team Overview

The Turkish national team, under the guidance of Vincenzo Montella, are experiencing another resurgence. Following a successful Euro 2024 campaign where they reached the quarter-finals, they earned promotion to League A in the Nations League. In their World Cup 2026 qualifiers, they took a crucial step to outpace their rivals for the second spot in the group by defeating Georgia away (3-2). In this match, we witnessed Turkey's ability to switch between active and passive phases. Starting both halves aggressively, the "Crescent-Stars" established a three-goal lead before ceding possession. While in the first half, Turkey's possession reached 60%, it dropped to 32% in the second half.

In this encounter, the goals for Turkey were scored by newly minted club teammates Mert Müldür and Kerem Aktürkoğlu. The latter joined Fenerbahçe at the very end of the transfer window, after scoring a goal that knocked his future club out of the Champions League group stage. Against Georgia, the forward bagged a brace and was named Man of the Match. Müldür opened the scoring in just the third minute with a successful header from an Arda Güler corner.

Spain Team Overview

The "Red Fury," eager to bounce back after their disappointing stumble in the Nations League final, found Bulgaria on the receiving end of their resurgence. Contrary to the belief that head coach Luis de la Fuente might abandon total control, Spain maintained an iron grip on the hosts from the first half. In the end, the Bulgarians managed only three shots towards Unai Simón's goal, spending 78% of the game on their own half. Spain sealed the match in the first 45 minutes—netting three unanswered goals before the final whistle.

As anticipated, Spain's primary threat came from the flanks, with the second and third goals originating there. Left-back Marc Cucurella and the right-sided duo of midfielder Mikel Merino and winger Lamine Yamal played pivotal roles, with Merino scoring from Yamal's assist. Early in the match, the central midfield was also heavily involved—just five minutes in, former Real Sociedad teammates Martín Zubimendi set up Mikel Oyarzabal beautifully. The players who kickstarted this rout demonstrated that the "Red Fury" can thrive without a traditional striker, at least against teams of Bulgaria's caliber.

Latest news

Turkey

❌ Bournemouth forward Enes Ünal didn't make it to the national team due to a knee injury he sustained earlier this year. Reports indicated that Merih Demiral and Hakan Çalhanoğlu missed the initial training sessions ahead of the match against Georgia. However, Vincenzo Montella included both in the starting lineup, and they each played the full 90 minutes.

Spain

🎙 "We had a very strong first half to secure the result. In the second half, our focus was on continuing to improve and grow, although the opponent's pace affected us. We could have drawn more positive conclusions, but everyone finished the match healthy. Our goal was to bring back Rodri and Carvajal. They were on the pitch not just because we wanted them there, but because they earned it. We're pleased with everyone's contribution," commented Luis de la Fuente after the victory over Bulgaria.

❌ Isco and Gavi did not travel for the international matches. The Real Betis midfielder is out for an extended period after fracturing his fibula. This is his second fracture in 15 months, having missed the European Championship due to the first one. Gavi is dealing with knee issues. The situation is complicated by the fact that he felt pain on the same side where he previously tore his cruciate ligaments.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

The scoring rate in the last 10 matches involving national teams is impressive, with Spain holding a significant advantage—4.3 goals on average compared to 3. However, don't be misled by these numbers for the visitors. Before their "clean" win over Bulgaria (3-0), "La Furia Roja" conceded at least twice in their last five Nations League games. Yes, the level of opponents was consistently high, including Switzerland, a team Turkey is likely on par with. The key players of the "Crescent-Stars" are in their prime, and Arda Güler might reveal some insights from the opposition's camp, having frequently encountered them in Madrid. We believe that betting on both teams to score is a reasonable choice here.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Despite not having the tallest roster, Spain often resorts to set pieces from corners, averaging 7.8 corners over their last 10 matches compared to Turkey's 5. Interestingly, during this period, Luis de la Fuente's squad has taken no fewer than 6 corners against teams of Turkey's caliber, including Serbia, Bulgaria, and Georgia. We predict that Spain's total corners will exceed 5.5.

Spain are clear favorites heading into the upcoming match, even as the visiting team. It's hard to argue with that, although facing Turkey won't be as straightforward as their clash with Bulgaria was for Luis de la Fuente's side. Recall Euro 2024, where the "Crescent-Stars" reached the playoffs, defeating a solid Austria (2-1) before narrowly losing to the Dutch (2-1). Considering Spain's recent encounters with the latter, we think Vincenzo Montella might employ similar tactics in Konya. The Italian coach's recent World Cup and European Championship qualifiers have been quite entertaining — exceeding the total of 2.5 goals in 11 out of 12 instances. We hope the upcoming match won't disappoint either. A likely outcome seems to be a 2-1 victory for Spain, but we acknowledge the hosts' achievements at the last Euros and suggest opting for over 2.5 goals.