In a thrilling UEFA Nations League Group 4 match, Turkey emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over Iceland at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium in Izmir on September 9, 2024. The star of the show was undoubtedly Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who netted a spectacular hat-trick to secure the win for the Turkish side.Aktürkoğlu opened the scoring early, finding the back of the net in the 2nd minute. Iceland managed to equalize through Victor Palsson’s header in the 37th minute, bringing the score to 1-1 at halftime. However, Aktürkoğlu was far from done. He restored Turkey’s lead in the 52nd minute with a powerful shot from outside the box, and then sealed the victory with his third goal in the 88th minute.This win propels Turkey to the top of their group with 4 points, following their previous draw against Wales. Iceland now sits second with 3 points.Turkish coach Vincenzo Montella, who made six changes to the starting lineup including the return of Merih Demiral from suspension, was elated with the team’s performance. ‘We’re giving this victory to our country. We wanted to have a great night, and we did, despite sometimes being very tired,’ Montella said in the post-match press conference.The victory was particularly sweet for Aktürkoğlu, who scored his first hat-trick in his 36th appearance for the national team, bringing his total goal tally to 9. ‘I’m happy to have scored a hat-trick and helped the team win,’ Aktürkoğlu stated after the match.Turkey’s next challenge in the UEFA Nations League will be against Montenegro on October 11, while Iceland is set to face Wales on the same day. With this impressive victory, Turkey has set a strong foundation for their campaign in the tournament.
Key points
- Kerem Aktürkoğlu scored a hat-trick, leading Turkey to a 3-1 victory over Iceland in the UEFA Nations League.
- Turkey now tops their group with 4 points after two matches.
- Coach Vincenzo Montella praised the team’s performance and dedicated the win to the country.
Contradictions👾There are minor discrepancies in the reported timing of Aktürkoğlu’s goals across different sources, with some stating the first goal was in the 2nd minute while others report it as the 9th minute.
