Turkey faces co-host Switzerland on Wednesday in a must-win match for both teams in the Soccer Betting Euro 2008. Both teams lost their opening matches and the loser of this contest is probably on the way out of Euro 2008. Emotions could be running high in this game because of what happened the last time the two teams met in November of 2005. It was an ugly scene in Istanbul after Switzerland’s World Cup qualifying playoff win. “Of course, it's not easy to forget what happened in Istanbul,” Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta said, “But we are trying not to dwell on it. The only similarity to the situation in Istanbul is that both sides need to win so Wednesday will be like a final for all of us.” The Swiss lost the Istanbul game 4-2 but advanced on aggregate because of their away goals. The Swiss won the home game 2-0 in the first leg back in 2005. After the game in Istanbul the players and coaching staffs went at it and FIFA suspended players from both sides. Turkey also had to play their first three Euro 2008 qualifiers on neutral fields because of what happened in 2005. Security in Switzerland has been increased for Wednesday’s match.
Euro 2008 Betting Preview
Switzerland vs. Turkey
Wednesday, 2:30 pm Eastern – ESPN 2
Switzerland is -.5 (+110) with a total of 2 under (-130) at SBG Global.
Three-way line – Switzerland +110, Turkey +210, Draw +245
The Swiss will be without captain Alex Frei who is out of the tournament with a knee injury. The news is even worse for Turkey. They will be without captain Emre Belozoglu who has a leg injury. They will also be missing Gokhan Zan due to injury and it is unlikely that Servet Cetin will play. "The fact that Emre will not play is not only about substituting one player for another. Emre's role in the team is not that simple," head coach Fatih Terim said. Turkey will try and not use the injuries as an excuse on Wednesday. "We may miss some players. But this cannot be an excuse," he said. "We will always have 11 players to play."
Turkey was the darkhorse to advance from this group but with the injuries they could be in a tough situation against Switzerland. "Turkey had similar starts to tournaments in the past," Terim said. "But if we succeeded in the past, I think we can do it tomorrow (Wednesday) again and then against the Czechs as well."
- Receive up to 135% in Total Bonuses from SBG Global!
- 50% Casino Deposit Bonus
- 30% Initial Deposit Bonus
- 30% Re-Up Bonus
- 10% Buddy Referral
*Bonuses have restrictions, please contact customer service.
