The Turkish men's football national team on Sunday destroyed Latvia 4-0 at home, securing their ticket to the UEFA 2024 European Football Championship (Euro 2024).
After a goalless first half, Türkiye surged ahead in the second half with a flurry of goals, earning themselves a spot in Germany.
Both teams saw their efforts thwarted by the woodwork with a close shot from Abdülkerim Bardakcı and a header from Roberts Savalnieks., but that did not dampen the drama on the field.
Türkiye's victory was sealed with goals from Yunus Akgün in the 58th minute, Cenk Tosun in the 83rd and 90+2nd minutes and Kerem Aktütkoğlu in the 87th minute.
In another match within the group, Wales defeated Croatia 2-1. These results cemented Türkiye's position at the top of the group with 16 points, outpacing Wales and Croatia, both holding 10 points.
The Crescent-Stars will conclude their group stage with an away match against Wales on Nov. 21.
Following Stefan Kuntz, Vincenzo Montella took the reins and boosted Türkiye's mojo, notching up two consecutive victories against Croatia and Latvia.
Under Montella, Türkiye maintained a clean sheet while scoring five times in these two matches.
The match was controversial in the 21st minute when Yunus Akgün appeared to have scored, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) disallowed the goal due to an offside call.
Despite this setback, Türkiye soldiered on, and the first half concluded with a scoreless draw.
As the first half neared its end, Türkiye intensified its pressure, coming close to scoring in the 36th minute.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu's corner kick from the right was met by Abdülkerim Bardakcı's header, but it hit the top bar of the goalpost and deflected away.
Türkiye started the second half aggressively and broke the deadlock through a spectacular goal by Yunus Akgün.
Receiving a low pass from Cenk Özkacar inside the penalty area, Akgün displayed finesse as he controlled the ball and struck it with his left foot, finding the corner of the net beyond Roberts Ozols' reach.
Despite conceding a goal, Latvia could not find an equalizer.
Roberts Savalnieks came close but was denied by the woodwork after Janis Ikaunieks' header from Savalnieks' right-wing cross hit the upper goalpost.
Cenk Tosun, who came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, sealed the match with a well-placed header, ending Latvia's hopes.
Samet Akaydin's cross into the penalty area was met by Tosun, whose precise header found the back of the net.
Capitalizing on gaps in Latvia's defense, Türkiye further widened the gap to three goals, with Kerem Aktürkoğlu calmly slotting the ball into the net.
In a fast-developing attack, Yusuf Sarı delivered a pass that Kerem Aktürkoğlu clinically converted.
Cenk Tosun had the final say, netting a goal in injury time, securing Türkiye's resounding 4-0 victory.
Despite the dominant scoreline, Vincenzo Montella emphasized that there is room for improvement in certain aspects of the team's performance.
He acknowledged the team's happy day and expressed gratitude to the fans for their support.
Montella also hinted at Türkiye's heightened ambitions as they head to Germany for Euro 2024, making it clear that the journey does not end here.
In a masterful performance, Abdülkerim Bardakcı's standout play was especially noted by Montella, affirming the player's excellence on the field.