TOPS
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Otavio, this hero
Not necessarily expected in the starting lineup, the local stage responded present against Turkey (3-1).
Rather twice than once.
Scorer (15th) then passer (42nd), the FC Porto striker was the big man of the evening in “his” Dragon Stadium.
Opportunistic scorer, he then delivered a treat from the center to a former home, Diogo Jota, author of the second goal.
But that's not all, since this pocket player (1.72m) has been a regular poison for Turkey.
If he notably caused two yellow cards (70th, 76th), he also brought a lot from his right lane, from where his crosses (54th, 63rd) sent several chills.
Very close to the double of the head (75th).
Jota on his way
Here he is back in shape at the best of times.
Author of a goal in the last two matches of Liverpool, Jota scored a new goal on Thursday.
A perfectly placed header as if to confirm a new string an already well-rounded arc from a rising attacker (42nd).
If he remembered the good memory of Dragao, he especially knew how to bounce back after an inexplicable failure from the start (11th).
Author of his 9th goal in 24 selections, Jota, also very restless in front, could undoubtedly have claimed a second goal but he lacked promptness (52nd) or precision (56th) before going out (71st).
Read also2022 World Cup play-offs: in pain, Portugal takes out Turkey and continues on its way to Qatar
FLOPS
Ronaldo too little influence
His failed bicycle attempt (45th + 1) alone sums up the Portuguese captain's evening.
If he has not done everything upside down, evolving in particular in a more collective register, “CR7” has often evolved out of time.
From the start, he nevertheless distinguished himself with strikes above (9th) or captured (12th) before gradually retreating on the ground.
Often the rapid transitions from the premises prevented him from projecting himself into the box.
And when he was there, in a favorable position, the Mancunian was caught by an offside (31st) or … a slip (38th).
He should have ended up finding the fault at the end of the match but he still lacked promptness (90 + 1) or success, finding a crossbar which will have snatched a smile from him (90 + 4).
The main thing was elsewhere!
Yilmaz from hope to despair
The Turkish captain could have finished in the tops if he hadn't tipped the match on the side of the locals.
Beneficiary of an almost unexpected penalty, the Lille resident swung his ball as well as the last Turkish hopes in the stands of Dragao (84th).
A lack of lucidity which had not failed him when it came time to grow a love of
assist
from Cengiz Ünder to score a 100% Ligue 1 goal as a hope (66th).
But he then rushed his actions again (67th) and even plunged into the area (69th) because he was powerless in particular against his captain in Lille, José Fonte.
From laughter to tears, the "Kral" has certainly missed his chance to play a World Cup with the selection.
Calhanoglu absent from the debates
Expected in the Turkish midfield, the middle of Inter did not have the influence that we could hope for.
The former Milanese will have spent most of his match playing upside down as on this loss of ball in his camp which would have deserved better (37th).
Unable to cut Portuguese transitions, he did once, being cautioned in the process for withholding Otavio's shirt.
His set pieces, yet his strong point, never brought danger, no more than his quality of striking, well under way like this half-hearted attempt (72nd).
Celik close to the correctional
Positioned a notch higher than with LOSC, the right side, converted piston next to his team's three-man defense, was hardly to his advantage.
Above all, he almost never finished the match.
Warned for an altercation with Jota (35th), Celik went close to the correctional for a bad gesture on B. Silva (49th) then another on Otavio.
Offensively, he brought nothing, like his lack of control in the area (52nd).
Replaced by his former partner in Lille, Yazici, invisible after his entry (81st).
