Wales earn point in Turkey to continue unbeaten start under Craig Bellamy
Wales drew 0-0 against Turkey in a friendly match in Istanbul on Thursday. The result means that Wales are now unbeaten in four matches under new manager Craig Bellamy, having previously drawn against the Czech Republic and Slovakia and beaten Finland in the UEFA Nations League.
Gareth Bale returned to the Wales starting line-up after missing the last two matches through injury, and he played 60 minutes before being substituted by Rabbi Matondo. The Turkish team threatened more in the first half, but Wayne Hennessey was in fine form to deny Halil Dervisoglu and Cengiz Under.
Wales improved after the break, with Bale having a shot saved by Ugurcan Cakir and Harry Wilson hitting the post with a free-kick. But Turkey also had chances to win the game, with Burak Yilmaz heading wide from close range and Kenan Karaman firing over the crossbar.
In the end, a draw was a fair result, with both teams showing signs of improvement. Wales will now face the Netherlands in their next match, while Turkey will play against Scotland.
Here is a summary of the match:
- Wales drew 0-0 against Turkey in a friendly match in Istanbul on Thursday.
- The result means that Wales are now unbeaten in four matches under new manager Craig Bellamy.
- Gareth Bale returned to the Wales starting line-up after missing the last two matches through injury.
- Wayne Hennessey was in fine form to deny Turkey in the first half.
- Wales improved after the break, but they could not find a winning goal.
- A draw was a fair result, with both teams showing signs of improvement.
Here are some quotes from the match:
- "I'm pleased with the performance," said Craig Bellamy. "We showed a lot of character and determination. We're still a work in progress, but we're moving in the right direction."
- "We created some good chances, but we couldn't take them," said Gareth Bale. "But we're still unbeaten under Craig Bellamy, and that's a positive sign."
- "I'm happy with the draw," said Turkey manager Stefan Kuntz. "We played well against a good team. We're building a new team, and we're getting better all the time."