Craig Bellamy will desperate to get off to a flier as Wales boss but faces a tricky opener in the UEFA Nations League as Turkey head to Cardiff.
Former striker Bellamy has taken charge after the departure of Rob Page and it’s his first gig in frontline management after working under Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht and Burnley.
Wales are looking to bounce back after missing out on qualification for Euro 2024 but they remain a team in transition after stars such as Gareth Bale and Joe Allen brought the curtain down on their international careers.
Bellamy will bring fresh energy to the group and they will need that against a Turkish side who caught the eye in Germany this summer.
Vincenzo Montella’s vibrant side blazed a trail to the quarter-finals and were only denied a spot in the last four by two late goals from the Dutch as a couple of bets landed for Slips Tips.
The Turks will be looking to continue that momentum and will fancy their chances of a win in Cardiff to kick off the Nations League campaign.
How the bookies view it: Turks just have the edge
This is a tough one to call as Turkey have the better team but Wales will be fired up by new boss Bellamy. Betfred make the visitors marginal favourites at 6/4, with the Welsh at 7/4 and the draw paying 2/1.
Recent head to head: Welsh on Euro 2024 revenge mission
These sides faced off in the Euro 2024 qualifiers and it was the Turks who came out on top, drawing 1-1 in Cardiff after a 2-0 victory in Istanbul. That levelled up the overall head-t0-head as Wales had won the only previous encounter 2-0 at the Euro 2020 finals, a game played in Baku.
Players to watch: Brennan ready to step up
The daunting task of filling Bale’s boots has fallen to winger Brennan Johnson and the Spurs star now needs to start delivering consistently for his country. He has looked lively for Tottenham early this term and is 11/4 for anytime scorer here.
Baris Yilmaz should lead the line for the Turks and has also started the season well, with two goals in five games for Galatasaray. The 24-year-old is 3/1 for another goal in Cardiff, which looks overpriced.
Probable line-ups
Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo has joined Leeds star Daniel James in pulling out with an injury. Turkish wonderkid Arda Guler has yet to feature for Real Madrid in La Liga this season so it could be a gamble for Montella to start him.
Wales: Ward, N Williams, Davies, Mepham, Rodon, Ampadu, Ramsey, Roberts, Wilson, Johnson, Moore.
Turkey: Gunok, Celik, Ayhan, Demiral, Akaydin, Calhanoglu, Kokcu, Ozcan, Yildiz, Kavechi, Yilmaz.
Anything else catch the eye?
There was nothing between these sides when Turkey last came to Cardiff and this should be another close game. The half-time draw is always a good option with evenly matched teams and it pays 21/20 here.
Turkey’s games at Euro 2024 were all thrillers, with over 2.5 goals landing in all five and BTTS coming up in four of those games. Wales have been toiling in front of goal but Bellamy’s arrival as boss could galvanise them so BTTS looks good here at 5/6 while over 2.5 goals is bigger at 6/5. Combining those picks in a bet builder will take you to 7/5.
I’d expect Wales to take the game to the Turks so there could be some value in backing Bellamy’s side for most corners at 21/20.
This UEFA Nations League match between Wales and Turkey will be played on
Sep 6, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Wales vs Turkey prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Wales vs Turkey Betting Tips & Predictions
Half-time draw
21/20
Betfred
Over 2.5 goals
6/5
Betfred
Wales most corners
21/20
Highbet
