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Galatasaray vs Tottenham predicted – Ange Postecoglou faces toughest Europa League test yet

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Tottenham will face one of the toughest fixtures in their Europa League calendar later today when they take on Galatasaray and attempt to keep up their winning start to the competition.

Spirits are high around Spurs at the moment, with a huge 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup last week being followed by an emphatic 4-1 win against Aston Villa in the Premier League on the weekend. Now, Ange Postecoglou's side will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce across all competitions, with the Lilywhites traveling to Turkey to face Galatasaray later today.

Spurs currently sit second in the Europa League table, only behind Lazio on goal difference, with the two sides winning their opening three games of the competition so far. Galatasaray will be looking to put an end to Spurs' unbeaten start though, with the Turkish side just two points behind Postecoglou's side in the table.

So, can Spurs make it four wins from four in the Europa League later today? Let's take a look.

We simulated Galatasaray vs Spurs to get a score prediction

To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that the hosts could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci, Kutlu; Torreira, Sara; Yilmaz, Mertens, Akgun; Osimhen.

We predict that Spurs could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Bissouma, Bergvall, Maddison; Moore, Lankshear, Son.

Spurs found it hard to get going in the early stages, and seven minutes in, they found themselves a goal behind when former defender Davidson Sanchez headed home from a corner to make it 1-0. Postecoglou's side was struggling with a James Maddison free-kick their only shot of the half, and just before the break, matters were made worse as the hosts went two goals up.

As Galatasaray moved forward from defence, Archie Gray was caught flat-footed by Baris Alper Yilmaz, with the winger bursting away from the defender to latch onto Dries Mertens' through ball. The winger sped away from Gray and Ben Davies to go one-on-one with Fraser Forster, and his powerful strike beat the 'keeper at the near post, doubling the hosts' lead.

Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, and Pape Sarr were all introduced at half-time as Postecoglou looked for improvement in the second half, and they almost made an instant impact when Solanke headed Kulusevski's cross onto the post from close range. But, after a flurry of chances early in the half, the Lilywhites went off the boil, and a late counterattack saw Victor Osimhen score to make it 3-0 to Galatasaray at the death to top off a miserable trip to Turkey for Postecoglou's side.

EA FC 25 predicted final score: Galatasaray 3-0 Spurs

Postecoglou makes surprise decision amid injuries

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Tottenham Hotspur will take on Galatasaray in the Europa League with Ange Postecoglou's hand forced by injuries aplenty.

Spurs have travelled to Turkey for a tough game in what will be a hostile atmosphere at RAMS Park in Istanbul. Galatasaray have a host of stars in their squad including striker Victor Osimhen and former Tottenham man Davinson Sanchez, and sit top of the Turkish top flight with an unbeaten record and lie fifth in the big Europa League group table.

Spurs sit second in that table after three straight wins and Postecoglou would have been likely to rotate his squad for the game but injuries and illness are set to severely limit his options.

"From the weekend obviously Richy unfortunately injured his hamstring so I'm still getting the final information but I think he'll be out for a while. [Cristian] Romero, I think nothing too serious hopefully," the Spurs boss told football.london out in Istanbul.

"So, hopefully still a chance for the weekend. Timo Werner has been carrying a bit of a groin complaint, which is still there, so he didn't travel, and Mikey Moore picked up a bit of a virus yesterday, so we've left him at home as well. I think everyone else who's fit and eligible is here."

Postecoglou already has Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert out injured with hamstring problems and he has taken a number of young academy players to Turkey to bolster his weakened squad. Spurs welcome Ipswich Town in the Premier League just two-and-a-half days after they land back in the UK on Friday morning and Postecoglou will need fresh legs.

Here's the Tottenham team we reckon the Australian will select to face Galatasaray:

Full Tottenham squad for Galatasaray clash revealed as ruthless Son Heung

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Tottenham have been forced to include a number of academy players in their travelling squad for the Europa League clash against Galatasaray due to injuries. At least six senior stars are not in Turkiye with Ange Postecoglou ruling out both Cristian Romero and Richarlison after they each picked up issues against Aston Villa.

"Romero, I think nothing too serious hopefully," the Spurs boss admitted in a press conference. "So, hopefully still a chance for the weekend. Richy injured his hamstring so I'm still getting the final information but I think he'll be out for a while.

"Timo Werner has been carrying a bit of a groin complaint, which is still there, so he didn't travel," he added. "Mikey Moore picked up a bit of a virus yesterday, so we've left him at home as well. I think everyone else who's fit and eligible is here."

While Richarlison, Moore and Werner all join Wilson Odobert as attackers absent, Romero's minor problem has seen Postecoglou lose both of his starting centre-backs. Micky van de Ven suffered a hamstring injury in the Carabao Cup win over Manchester City which is expected to keep him out until after the November international break.

With the Lilywhites having won all three of their Europa League games so far, they can afford to drop points especially considering their injury issues and the challenge awaiting them at RAMS Park. The Turkish side have not lost since August and boast an impressive record which sees them score an average of three goals per game.

As a result of injury issues in two very specific areas, three spots in the starting XI appear to decide themselves. Starting in defence, with Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies likely to be the centre-back pairing as Romero and Van de Ven have not travelled.

At left wing, though Postecoglou may not want to, captain Son is all but a guaranteed starter with the four other options that can play in that role absent. The South Korea international played 55 minutes on his return from an injury setback this past weekend and thus Postecoglou will want to further ease him back in.

However, as the options are limited, he may be forced to play the full 90 minutes with perhaps only Brennan Johnson capable of filling in, though he is likely to start on the opposite flank. Dejan Kulusevski could replace him on the right but the Swede has done so well centrally, it is unlikely he is moved elsewhere if utilised.

With that being said, plenty of youngsters have made the trip and therefore Postecoglou could opt to use some of Spurs' academy stars, but it would be quite the baptism of fire given the blistering atmosphere expected. With that said, football.london has taken a look at the squad Postecoglou is likely to name.

Goalkeepers: Guglielmo Vicario, Fraser Forster, Brandon Austin.

Defenders: Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie, Alfie Dorrington, Dante Cassanova.

Midfielders: Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, Callum Olusesi.

Attackers: Heung-min Son, Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Will Lankshear, Luca Williams-Barnett.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham for reaction to Spurs' victory against Man City! Click here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

The exciting new Tottenham partnership forming at the perfect time for Ange Postecoglou

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Ange Postecoglou will have a fairly simple choice when it comes to selecting his Tottenham centre-back pairing for Thursday evening's Europa League clash against Galatasaray. Micky van de Ven will not feature for Spurs until after the international break due to a strained hamstring, with Cristian Romero currently nursing a foot injury that forced him off in last weekend's win over Aston Villa.

Due to the lack of available numbers in such a key position right now, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies will almost certainly partner each other at the heart of defence in Istanbul. Neither are regulars for Tottenham in the Premier League but the duo have seen an increase in game time of late due to the club's hectic schedule.

What will perhaps be extremely pleasing for Postecoglou at present is that Dragusin and Davies do appear to be forming a very strong bond at the heart of defence. Given the understanding that Romero and Van de Ven have established over the past year, having another partnership to come in and replace the first-choice duo can only be a good thing for Postecoglou and Spurs.

It was at this stage in the season 12 months ago when the 59-year-old's options at centre-back were sparse to say the least. Losing Van de Ven for a period of time due to a hamstring injury, Romero was also unavailable because of the red card he received in the 4-1 defeat at home to Chelsea last November.

Rather than giving established centre-back Eric Dier an extended run in the team, Postecoglou instead went for Emerson Royal and Davies as his makeshift defensive partnership. In the 3-3 draw away at Man City in December 2023, Postecoglou selected a four-man defence comprising solely of full-backs and Spurs still managed to leave the Etihad Stadium with a point in the bag.

Not having a player of Dragusin's quality back then to immediately come into defence, Spurs are now reaping the rewards of signing the highly-rated Romanian from Genoa at the start of this year. Dragusin may not be playing week in, week out as he would like but his addition has really helped Tottenham out.

The 22-year-old was outstanding in last week's 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and he followed it up with another excellent performance as Spurs put Aston Villa to the sword. In both of those games, Dragusin was joined at centre-back by Davies as a result of Romero leaving the field early in both fixtures.

The Wales international was superb both times he was called upon as he helped solidify things at the back for Tottenham. He even had a hand in Dominic Solanke's first goal against Villa after making a vital block on the halfway line which resulted in Tottenham going on to punish their opponents.

What has helped both Davies and Dragusin over the past two games is that they already have experience of playing alongside each other. Paired for the first time this season in the 2-1 win away at Coventry City in the middle of September, the partnership resumed a fortnight ago for Tottenham's Europa League encounter against AZ Alkmaar.

The game time together has given both the opportunity to develop an understanding and it has to be said that they look at home alongside one another at present. That meant that Davies fitted in seamlessly next to Dragusin when introduced in the second half against both Man City and Aston Villa.

Davies' introduction for the final 29 minutes of the Villa game was actually his first Premier League appearance of the season, although you couldn't tell that going on the quality showing that he delivered alongside his teammate. The fact that both have been regularly used in the cup competitions this season has also helped their game and the partnership as they are not coming into matches cold due to a lack of minutes.

Unfortunately losing one defensive partnership due to injury, the great thing for Postecoglou is that he has another duo ready and waiting when needed. Dragusin and Davies may not be Romero and Van de Ven but they are a major asset to Postecoglou and Tottenham right now.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham for reaction to Spurs' victory against Man City! Click here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ange Postecoglou faces major Tottenham dilemma as nightmare fixture scenario confirmed

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will soon face a number of huge dilemmas following confirmation of a key fixture. Spurs have won nine of their last 11 games across three different competitions with hope they can continue their 100 per cent winning record in the Europa League on Thursday against Galatasaray.

In the last seven days, Tottenham have beaten both Manchester City and Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup and Premier League, respectively. However, the Lilywhites have been handed three big injury blows in that time with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Richarlison all suffering issues.

Van de Ven will not feature in Turkey because of a hamstring injury with Postecoglou giving updates on the latter duo. "From the weekend, Richy unfortunately injured his hamstring so I'm still getting the final information but I think he'll be out for a while. Romero, I think nothing too serious, hopefully still a chance for the weekend," he said.

Confirming two new issues, the Spurs boss added: "Timo Werner has been carrying a bit of a groin complaint, which is still there, so he didn't travel, and Mikey Moore picked up a bit of a virus yesterday, so we've left him at home as well. I think everyone else who's fit and eligible is here."

Wilson Odobert is also still absent which means Spurs will be without two centre-backs and four attackers that can all play at left wing. Given Spurs are regularly playing twice each week, Postecoglou will need to use the full complement of his squad over the coming months.

That is currently very hard to do in the centre defence and out wide however, with Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin and Son Heung-min the only natural fit options for those two roles. As such, Son starting the fixture against Galatasaray looks very likely despite only playing 55 minutes this past weekend on his way back from injury.

That is just one dilemma facing Postecoglou in the immediate but there looks set to be even more going forward with a particular fixture announcement sure to cause some dilemmas. On Thursday, December 19, Spurs will host Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.

Just three days later, Spurs welcome Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with it clear Postecoglou may need to decide on his priority. Given the desire to win a trophy, going strong in the hopes of reaching a semi-final will be tempting but the league is of course the main focus.

With that in mind, fringe players will absolutely be required and almost every member of the squad could be called upon in order for Tottenham to continue competing in three different competitions.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham for reaction to Spurs' victory against Man City! Click here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Dominic Solanke makes statement about Tottenham's young players and his own fitness

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Dominic Solanke has been speaking to reporters out in Turkey on Wednesday ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's Europa League match at Galatasaray.

The £65million summer signing has made a big impression at Spurs with seven goal involvements in his first 10 starts for the north London club and his head coach Ange Postecoglou has quickly been repaid for the faith he showed in pushing for the England international to be signed from Bournemouth in that big money move.

The switch has paid off for both the club and player with Solanke now back in the England fold after a long absence and leading the line for Tottenham with aplomb, with performances full of energy and goals or assists.

Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those reporters out in Istanbul putting the questions to Solanke on Wednesday evening. Scroll down for a full transcript with everything the 27-year-old forward said in his press conference at RAMS Park.

How are you feeling fitness-wise? It feels like you've been running yourself into the ground recently for the team and there's so many matches?

I feel great. Obviously we've got a lot of games this season which we want to do. Obviously there's a lot of competitions we want to do well in and go for, so we’re going to need everyone. But yeah, me personally, I'm quite a fit person. I like to work hard. So I think with the staff that we've got, everyone's looking out for us and making sure we get right for each game. So we're thankful for that.

The England squad is announced tomorrow, Thomas Tuchel has been announced as manager but us not taking over yet. Is that going to be strange?

Since the last camp, we had the news that the new manager will be taking over. I’m not sure he’s going to be there, he’s going to be taking over from next year. That’s something to look forward to for the country. On a personal note, I’d love to be there again [in the squad]. I worked hard to get back there so it’s definitely an aim of mine to stay there.

You produced that ice-cool finish against Villa for your first goal but hadn't scored for six games before that. Where did that calmness and composure come from after not scoring for a couple of weeks?

It is just about staying right, staying sharp in your mind. You are always going to miss chances and sometimes you might not get chances, but it's important to stick with it, especially being a striker. There will be a time when you do get the chance and you need to be ready for that.

Welcome to Turkey. What do you think of Galatasaray and the atmosphere there will be at the game tomorrow?

Thank you. Yeah everyone knows how big a club Galatasaray is and the atmosphere they create in their stadium is immense. As a footballer, that is something everyone wants to be a part of. In our squad we have a lot of players who have played in big tournaments, big stadiums and big atmospheres. I think we'll be ready for it but it's something we're looking forward to.

What do you know of Galatasaray?

Yeah like I mentioned Galatasaray is a huge club with a lot of history. They have had a lot of top players over the years, they've obviously got some great players now so we know it will be a tough game. In Europe every game is tough and we're looking forward to the challenge.

What's the hottest atmosphere you have faced?

You've put me on the spot there! I'm trying to think. Off top of my head I probably can't pick out one but there has been quite a few over the years. With the young players, it is good for everyone to learn and experience because these are the games everyone wants to play and for the young boys it will be a great experience for them.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Every word Ange Postecoglou said on Romero and Werner injuries and Mikey Moore illness

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Tottenham Hotspur take on Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday night and on Wednesday Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was speaking to the media in Istanbul.

The north London side flew into Turkey on Wednesday evening and were immediately whisked to RAMS Park for the press conference for the head coach and a training session on the pitch with the players available for the game. On Thursday they will come up against a Galatasaray team full of big names such as Victor Osimhen as well as former Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez, who played more than 200 games in a Tottenham shirt and played briefly for Postecoglou.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those in Istanbul putting the questions to Postecoglou ahead of the game. Scroll down for a full transcript with every single word the Australian said in response to the questions from the British and Turkish media.

You've got a lot of young players in the squad, there's no fear then that they can handle the atmosphere?

No. I’m sure that they’re all looking forward to it. That’s why you play football. I kept saying, especially with this generation, a lot of them have experienced what football is like without supporters. You certainly don’t like that when we went through Covid.

We’re looking forward to it. It’s a fantastic stadium, the supporters create an unbelievable atmosphere here, they love the big European nights.

They’re a very, very good team. It’s exactly the kind of games you want to be involved in in Europe, whether you’re young, you’re old, irrespective of the role you have, you look forward to it.

Galatasaray have players like Icardi and Osimhen, how do they influence the team?

As I said very good team, very good individual players but that's what you expect when you play against a top European side. We play in the Premier League so we are playing top opponents every week so we understand what that is about and top individual players, but it's a good test for us tomorrow. We've started well in the Europa League, our results have been good home and away and we want to continue that.

They are a team that are good at set pieces and you will come up against Davinson Sanchez again, what do you think about that?

Yeah, they've scored a lot of goals from set pieces. They're a threat. I think they're an attacking threat with the players they have, especially in the front third. So again we're going to have to work hard defensively tomorrow at different times. I think you always do when you play away in Europe. We'll be ready for that.

Yeah, Davinson Sanchez, it'll be good to see him again. He was at the club when I first arrived. Very good professional, always trying very hard. Good guy and looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.

What's the latest team news and who has had to stay at home?

Yeah, so from the weekend obviously Richy unfortunately injured his hamstring so I'm still getting the final information but I think he'll be out for a while. Romero, I think nothing too serious hopefully.

So, hopefully still a chance for the weekend. Timo Werner has been carrying a bit of a groin complaint, which is still there, so he didn't travel, and Mikey Moore picked up a bit of a virus yesterday, so we've left him at home as well. I think everyone else who's fit and eligible is here.

What kind of rotation will you make with all the absences?

Through the Europa League we've rotated the team as we've seen. Obviously we are playing three games a week at the moment, have been since the start of the season and we've used pretty much all our squad, but that's worked well because players have come in and been fit because they're playing football regularly. We'll make changes tomorrow night but again it's just about making sure we have a team out there we believe can match the opposition and get a result for us.

What do you think are Galatasaray's strengths?

They definitely have a lot of threat in the front third. As I said, their attacking players are very, very good individually. They're a strong team physically, so we're going have to match the attacking threats they have with the way we play. Obviously, like I said here at Galatasaray, at this home stadium with the fans behind them, there's a great energy in all their games, so it's a great test for us, but as I said one we're looking forward to. We're in good form, we're playing good football ourselves. It should hopefully be a good game.

I promise this is a football question, but with the current political news across the world and everything going on, what is football's responsibility to provide escapism?

I could give you a cracking non-football answer but I'm not going to .. It's where we are as a society at the moment. Sports always provide a constant in terms of escapism for people whether in the broader context of global political landscapes or people’s lives in general. We've all got things in our lives that sometimes aren't in the greatest shape so I think sport, and football in particular because it's the global sport, does. It provides some escapism, hopefully some joy, and some collective tribalism in a positive way. You feel part of something, connected to something on a weekly basis which is your team and you share that with other people. I've always felt sport and football, for me, has always been a great avenue for people to enjoy something in a community aspect and hopefully that continues.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ange Postecoglou confirms two new Tottenham absences as he gives Romero and Richarlison update

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Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Timo Werner and Mikey Moore will miss Tottenham's Europa League tie against Galatasaray on Thursday evening. Spurs have suffered some injuries in recent weeks, with Cristian Romero and Richarlison limping off in the second half of last Sunday's 4-1 win over Aston Villa.

Micky van de Ven will not return from his strained hamstring until after this month's international break and Wilson Odobert faces more time on the sidelines after a setback so soon after returning from a hamstring injury. Speaking to the media in Istanbul on Wednesday evening ahead of Spurs' European clash, Postecoglou provided an update on his injured players

"Yeah, so from the weekend obviously Richy unfortunately injured his hamstring so I'm still getting the final information but I think he'll be out for a while," said the 59-year-old when speaking to football.london. "Romero, I think nothing too serious hopefully. So, hopefully still a chance for the weekend.

"Timo Werner has been carrying a bit of a groin complaint, which is still there, so he didn't travel, and Mikey Moore picked up a bit of a virus yesterday, so we've left him at home as well. I think everyone else who's fit and eligible is here."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham for reaction to Spurs' victory against Man City! Click here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham vs Man Utd Carabao Cup quarter-final date and kick-off time confirmed

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The date and time for Tottenham's Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Manchester United has been confirmed. After defeating Manchester City 2-1 in the fourth round of the competition, Spurs will play the Red Devils for a place in the semi-finals.

The game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is now in the schedule for Thursday, December 19. Sky Sports will be televising the encounter, with kick-off set for 8pm.

Speaking at his press conference on Friday afternoon, Postecoglou gave his verdict on the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw. "Yeah good draw in terms of it is a home game which I think for all clubs is welcome because you not it is not going to be any easy game whoever you are playing so having it at home for us is great for us," said the 59-year-old.

"Against a big club like United [it] will be a really good fixture but you expect that at any quarter-final, semi-final stage of any competition. I only just heard Ruben has been appointed so he will have his feet firmly under the desk by then. Looking forward to meeting him."

The Carabao Cup tie comes at a busy time in the season for Tottenham with nine games in the calendar for December. Tottenham will take on Manchester United in between the away game against Southampton and the home encounter against Liverpool.

Further games against Nottingham Forest and Wolves then follow to complete the festive football for Postecoglou's men. If Spurs are to prevail against Ruben Amorim's side, the first leg of the semi-finals is due to be played on Wednesday, January 8 before the second leg takes place four weeks later on Wednesday, February 5.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham for reaction to Spurs' victory against Man City! Click here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ange Postecoglou and Dominic Solanke press conference LIVE

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Ange Postecoglou and Dominic Solanke are holding their press conference ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's Europa League clash at Galatasaray.

Spurs have flown out to Istanbul to take on the Turkish league leaders having started their own Europa League campaign well with three straight victories, which puts Postecoglou's men in second place in the big group table. Galatasaray, who boast a host of star names from across European football including striker Victor Osimhen, sit fifth in that table and in good form themselves, having not lost a game in their own domestic league, leading Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in that competition.

Tottenham are likely to step into a hostile atmosphere at RAMS Park on Thursday evening and Postecoglou and England international Solanke are speaking about the game at the stadium on the evening before it takes place, ahead of a training session on the pitch.

Postecoglou will provide an update on the injuries to Cristian Romero and Richarlison, as well as any other injuries or problems within the camp heading into the European clash.

Solanke will speak about his start to life at Spurs following his £65million move from Bournemouth in the summer with seven goal involvements in his first 10 starts for the north London side, including Sunday's brace against Aston Villa.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those in Istanbul putting the questions to the head coach and his striker. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference in Turkey.