The Spain vs Turkey match in Seville provided the type of theatrics that qualifying a world cup implies; Spain was passed through to the 2026 world cup but only after being made to sweat by Turkish who were extremely determined. The first minutes were an indication that the match was not going to be a predictable show. Spain had come with a build-up an impeccable record of defense and a welcome to play in their own homes, yet Turkey was not going to be to be intimidated and they turned a seemingly ordinary qualification game into an emotional yet thrilling game that left the fans at the edge of their seats up to the final whistle.

Spain had a perfect opening to the night. Dani Olmo made his first start in the first four minutes and it was a calm finish following a cut-back by Marc Cucurella. It was an assured blow, one that was executed correctly and at the right time and representative of the manner in which Spain have performed during this qualifying campaign: flowing, accurate, and brutally effective. This objective also strengthened the role of Spain as the strong force of the Group E and at one time, it appeared that the game will be played as the hosts expected.

Turkey however stood up remarkably resilient. They endured the early stress of Spain and slowly developed into the match launching higher and optional errors. At the eve of halftime their perseverance rewarded them. Deniz Gul had some room within the box and without any panic, fed the ball around Unai Simon, breaking Spain’s streak of five matches without conceding. The equalizer gave the contest a new life and all of a sudden the atmosphere inside the stadium changed. Belief had been obtained in Turkey and Spain reawakened into the thought that they were not yet certain of their qualification.

The second part started with tension and Turkey took advantage initially. Salih Ozcan rolled a low ball into the bottom-left corner in the 54 th minute, shocking the home crowd and giving Turkey a 2-1 lead. The streak of 30 plus competitive games that Spain had had without drawbacks and defeat in the face of Luis de la Fuente seemed to be under threat at one point. Spain perfected to shake, and Turkey to lean. The visitors had the momentum, and tension was beginning to build up in Seville.

At last, Spain retaliated with the power of a side made of big game. Eight minutes later, having already fallen behind, Mikel Oyarzabal, who is one of the most in form forwards in the entire of Europe throughout the qualifying phase, pounced on a rebound following an effort on the line by Yeremy Pino. The Real Sociedad star gave the ball to the net with his sixth goal of the season tying the game to 2-2 and calming down Spanish fans. There, Spain reclaimed authority, and, with the goal, in charge, turned the speed, and Turkey could not make the mess they had made them before.

Spain might have scored on the subsequent occasion as well, as Olmo twice struck a goal against the Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who was playing his finest game. At the other end, Baris Yilmaz almost made the highlight of the night after keeping Simon on his toes with a brilliant save with an audacious overhead split. Both scenes were an indication of the tension to the end which characterized this Spain vs Turkey match.

In the end, the draw was enough. Spain ended first in group E, victorious and on a high on the way to 2026. Turkey did not manage to pull off the miracle but still has pride and a spot in the play-offs. It was but England (and that also only) which defeated European qualifying without losing a single goal–testimony of how infrequently Spain actually arrived.

The Spain vs Turkey game was everything that a fan could ever wish to see early goals, strategic struggles second-half developments and performances of the game. Spain ensured their spot in the 2026 world cup with determination and talent whereas Turkey demonstrated that they were a team and able to unsettle the European giants.

Follow us on Zeroto30s social channels:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeroto30s/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeroto30s

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeroto30s

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zeroto30s