With their eyes set on emulating their 2008 campaign, surprise contenders Türkiye will be on the lookout for the quarterfinals as they face Austria in the Euro 2024 round of 16 stage on Tuesday.
This marks these two teams' maiden encounter in a major tournament, with a pivotal reward at stake: the victorious side will advance to the quarterfinals, where they await either the Netherlands or Romania.
The Crescent-Stars remain undefeated in their last five encounters against Tuesday's opponents in competitive matches, maintaining a clean sheet each time, although their last meeting ended in a scoreless draw during Euro 2012 qualifying.
Türkiye secured their spot in the upcoming clash with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Czechia in their final Group F fixture last Wednesday.
Veteran striker Cenk Tosun's goal in second-half stoppage time sealed their berth in the round of 16.
Despite knowing that a draw would suffice, Vincenzo Montella's squad faced uncertainty after conceding shortly after skipper Hakan Çalhanoğlu's 51st-minute strike had given them the lead, playing most of the match with a one-man advantage.
Tosun's late heroics not only triggered a chaotic finale with multiple cards shown but also propelled Türkiye to a second-place finish in Group F.
They began their campaign with a spirited 3-1 victory over debutants Georgia but faltered 3-0 against Portugal.
Montella's youthful squad, boasting the second-youngest starting lineup on average during the group stage, has led Türkiye to the latter stages of the Euros for only the third time in history, marking their first appearance since their memorable semifinal run in 2008.
As Türkiye's Euro 2024 journey continues, the Crescent-Stars are poised for robust support, particularly from the sizable Turkish diaspora in Germany, where thousands have settled over the past six decades.
However, Austria, arriving in Germany as one of Europe's in-form teams, clinched a spot in the Euro 2024 knockout rounds by topping Group D with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at Berlin's Olympiastadion last Tuesday.
Despite a challenging draw that included the Netherlands and favorites France, Ralf Rangnick's squad secured six points from nine available, finishing ahead of Les Bleus, who were held to a surprising 1-1 draw by already-eliminated Poland.
Captain Marcel Sabitzer delivered an 80th-minute winner after Austria twice surrendered leads, sealing their first-place finish following an opening loss to France and a 3-1 victory over Poland.
This advancement marks a significant milestone for Austria, who failed to progress past the group stage in their first two Euros as hosts in 2008 and again eight years later.
Das Team have now reached the knockout phase of a major tournament only for the fourth time in history, previously achieving this feat at the 1934 and 1954 World Cups and Euro 2020.
Under Rangnick since June 2022, Austria's high-energy squad aims to secure their maiden European Championship quarterfinal berth.
Recent performances are in their favor, having won 14 of their last 19 matches and suffering just two defeats.
Since Rangnick's appointment, Austria rank among Europe's top nations in terms of win percentage, surpassed only by Portugal, Netherlands, and Spain.
Notably, they clinched a memorable 6-1 victory over Türkiye in a spring international, with Michael Gregoritsch netting a hat trick before the hour mark at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadion.
Rangnick returns to Leipzig, a city where he enjoyed several years of success as both club coach and advisor.
The 66-year-old strategist faces a pivotal decision for a winning squad, with Wolfsburg winger Patrick Wimmer sidelined due to suspension.
Either Konrad Laimer or Christoph Baumgartner, the latter boasting involvement in nine goals across his last eight international appearances, is poised to step up from the bench.
In the attacking fray, record caps-holder Marko Arnautovic contends with Michael Gregoritsch for a pivotal role, while the central defensive pairing will feature any two from Max Wober, Kevin Danso, Gernot Trauner, and Philipp Lienhart.
On the Turkish side, Vincenzo Montella confronts the absence of influential captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu and defender Samet Akaydın for Tuesday's clash, both players having received their second bookings of the tournament against Czechia.
Abdulkerim Bardakcı returns from suspension to partner Merih Demiral in Türkiye's defensive setup.
In midfield, Okay Yokuşlu, Kaan Ayhan, and Orkun Kökçü vie for the opportunity to replace Çalhanoğlu.
Although first-choice goalkeeper Mert Günok has been managing a knee injury that sidelined him during the loss to Portugal, he has resumed training and is expected to start in goal.
A notable subplot awaits as Juventus star Kenan Yıldız (19 years and 59 days) and Real Madrid's Arda Güler (19 years and 128 days) could both feature, marking only the second instance in Euros history where any nation has fielded two teenagers in a knockout match – the first occurrence since 1964.
