- Turkey have won eight of their last ten matches, drawing one and losing only once.
- Turkey have scored 14 goals in their last five away games, averaging 2.8 goals per game on the road over their most recent five away trips.
- Australia are unbeaten in four home games with three wins and a draw, but will find it much more difficult to defend in Vancouver, Canada.
Turkey to take the win in Vancouver
Australia's form has been somewhat patchy in recent outings, with two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five matches. Tony Popovic's Socceroos were edged 1-0 away by Mexico last week, which followed an equally disappointing 1-1 home draw against Switzerland. The Australian team had to regroup after their disastrous run of friendlies in 2023 and Popovic's pragmatic tactics have re-established some defensive discipline and structure, but they will have to absorb pressure and strike on the counter-attack this Sunday.
Vincenzo Montella has had a similarly transformative impact on Turkey, but in an altogether different way. The ex-Sampdoria boss has made his team much more fluid, possession-based and creative - a style that relies on a roaming front four to find pockets of space, while the midfielders play a pivotal role in creating and exploiting them. Their run of four straight wins has seen the Crescent Stars thump North Macedonia 4-0 at home and beat Venezuela 2-1 away, but Montella's men will need to be at their best against this solid Australia side.
Australia's strong suit has always been their defensive discipline and ability to absorb the opponent's pressure, before unleashing some of their explosive young talent on the break. Popovic's team have plenty of pace up front and can hurt teams on the transition. Turkey's strength will be trying to control this match and break down the Australians, so expect a game of chess on Sunday.
Turkey have an absolute scoring edge
Turkey's average of 2.8 goals per away game in their last five away games is staggering and their run of 14 goals in their last five road trips speaks volumes. Australia will surely have enough attacking quality to trouble Turkey, but Turkey's technical quality and momentum should give them the edge in this Group D opener.
Back Turkey to take all three points at a tempting odds of 37/50, while Turkey's scoring edge suggests this should be a high-scoring encounter. The 101/100 about Total Score Over 2.5 is tempting, as both teams can find the net at 9/10.
