EURO 2016 TEAM PREVIEW: GROUP D - TURKEY

Tip: Early exit

Cult hero: Mehmet Topal is one half of a high powered celebrity couple, which instantly puts him in the affections of Turkish fans. Along with a penchant for escaping near death experiences, the defender also boasts an uncompromising approach to locking down strikers using his long, spidery legs.

Star player: There are not many players out there who have overcome swine flu to make a big name for themselves on the international stage, but Arda Turan is one of them. He lit up Euro 2008 with his attacking displays that saw the Turks edged out 3-2 by Germany in the semi-finals, his electric form for Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid ever since bagging him a high-profile move over to Barcelona.

Player to watch: Ozan Tufan was at the very core of Turkey’s qualification success, however he is not a lock for a starting spot this summer with concerns over his weight amongst factors against him. There is no denying his talent whether sitting deep in midfield dictating play or venturing further forward to help spark attacks that the likes of Turan and Burak Yılmaz can finish off up front.

How they qualified: They may have finished third in Group A, but it was in an expanded group of six that also included Holland who they defeated 3-0 back in September. They managed to pick off five wins overall fuelled by goals from Yılmaz and Selcuk Inan, but they will need to up their game in France.

Line-up prediction: Babacan, Gonul, Topal, Balta, Erkin, Inan, Sen, Calhanoglu, Ozyakup, Turan, Yılmaz