Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup qualifying match.
Turkey and Spain will battle for top spot in Group E not only because both won their opening matches, but also because they have far deeper resources than the rest.
Turkey
The Turks had to dig deep late on to preserve their 3:2 victory away to Georgia, after Barış Yılmaz was sent off just five minutes after coming on in the 71st minute. The forward’s dismissal left the squad under pressure, though his replacement Kerem Aktürkoğlu had already done the damage with a brace. They carry clear potential — only recently Turkey reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
Spain
Spain went even further — they won the tournament. They were the only side at Euro 2024 who left no doubts, and they carried that same dominance into Thursday’s qualifier. Bulgaria were swept aside 3:0 on their own patch, producing just three off-target efforts against Spain’s 24 shots, half of which were on target. The Bulgarian keeper was beaten three times before the interval, while Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and others continually stretched the defence, often finding themselves completely unmarked. It was shambolic resistance.
Turkey vs Spain Prediction
If Turkey defend like that, they will lose — just as they did at Euro 2016 when Spain ran out 3:0 winners. But this is a different generation. Many Turkish stars are still very young, and experience and composure remain in short supply. Spain should win again, but with the hosts backed by their passionate support, they will put up a fight. A handicap on Turkey looks the smarter play.
