Turkey take on North Macedonia in a pre-World Cup warm-up match at Sukru Saracolglu Stadium in Istanbul on Monday.
It is the Crescent-Stars' last match on home soil before they travel to North America for Group D games in Vancouver, Santa Clara and Inglewood, and Vincenzo Montella will demand a strong display from his revitalised squad.
Montella, nicknamed "The Little Aeroplane" during his playing career in Italy, guided Turkey back to the finals for the first time in 24 years via the play-offs in March.
But while the home side are riding a wave of momentum, the visitors arrive in the midst of a prolonged winless run and major issues in front of goal.
Turkey have won five of their last six, scoring 16 goals in that period, and have lost just once at home in nearly two years.
North Macedonia, meanwhile, have failed to win any of their last seven, scoring only once in their last five.
With both teams trending in opposite directions, this friendly looks set to be another strong showcase for Montella's side.
Turkey v North Macedonia Tips Summary
Best Bet – Turkey to win to nil @ 5/6
Alternative Bet – Turkey to score in first half: No @ 7/4
Bet Builder – Turkey to win either half, Arda Güler to score & Over 10 corners @ 6/1
Turkey v North Macedonia Prediction
Best Bet – Turkey to win to nil @ 5/6
Although they have been scoring plenty of goals themselves, Turkey's defensive improvement under Montella has been one of the defining features of their resurgence.
They have kept three clean sheets in their last four, conceding just four goals across their last six matches.
Their structure has tightened significantly, with Salih Ozcan and Ismail Yüksek forming a disciplined double pivot and the centre‑back pairing of Ozan Kabak and Abdülkerim Bardakcı looking increasingly assured.
North Macedonia's attack, meanwhile, has been one of Europe's least productive in recent months. They have failed to score in four of their last five, and their only goal in that stretch came in a 7‑1 defeat to Wales.
With Daniel Musovski injured and Eljif Elmas carrying the creative burden alone, the Lynxes have struggled to generate chances.
Against a confident, organised Turkish defence, their prospects look bleak, making a home win to nil the standout selection.
Alternative Bet – Turkey to score in first half: No @ 7/4
Despite their excellent form, Turkey have often taken time to break opponents down. They scored their only goals in the World Cup play-off wins over Romania and Kosovo in the second halves.
Several of their recent friendly matches have also featured slow, methodical openings.
North Macedonia's defensive approach under Goce Sedloski has been conservative but effective.
They have kept back‑to‑back clean sheets against the Republic of Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and their compact 5‑3‑2 shape is designed to frustrate early pressure.
Given Turkey are missing key creators Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kenan Yıldız, the hosts may need time to find their rhythm.
A scoreless first half is a realistic scenario before Turkey's superior quality eventually tells.
Turkey v North Macedonia Bet Builder Tip
Arda Guler to score
Over 10 corners
Turkey to win either half
Pays 6/1
Turkey should dominate territory and possession, as they did in their previous two games against Romania and Kosovo.
Although they only managed to win two corners in the latter of those two play-off games, it was largely down to a specific tactic that discouraged crosses.
Montella's men attempted 22 crosses at home against Romania and earned nine of the 12 total match corners, showing that the Turks can generate a high corner count when they want to.
They have averaged over six corners per match in recent outings, while North Macedonia tend to concede plenty when defending deep.
Arda Guler, meanwhile, is expected to be the creative heartbeat of the side. With Çalhanoğlu absent, the Real Madrid starlet will take on more responsibility in advanced areas. His long‑range shooting and set‑piece threat make him a strong candidate to find the net.
Turkey winning at least one half feels highly likely given their superior quality and depth.
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Key Match Stats
Turkey have scored 16 goals and conceded only four in their last six matches
North Macedonia are winless in seven
The Lynxes have failed to score in four of their last five games
North Macedonia have not conceded a first-half goal in six of their last seven contests
Turkey have kept three clean sheets in their last four
Turkey have lost one home match since June 2024
Arda Guler has scored once and assisted four goals in his last seven international appearances
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
