Montella blames bad luck, but Turkey's 30 shots and zero goals tell a different story
A 2-0 opening loss to Australia leaves Turkey on the brink in Group D — and Saturday's clash with Paraguay is already a must-win
Thirty shots. Zero goals. Two-nil on the scoreboard. Some defeats hurt more than the result suggests — and Turkey's opening game at the 2026 World Cup is exactly that kind.
Coach Vincenzo Montella didn't dodge the microphone. He acknowledged that the match "didn't go as well tactically as we expected," admitted that Australia sat deep and bet on the counter-attack, and even praised the opposition: "Congratulations to Australia, they played very well," the Italian manager said, according to ge.
But his main explanation carried a note of resignation: "There were 30 shots, but if luck isn't on your side, you lose," Montella said. Australia, for the record, managed just nine attempts — and scored twice.
The coach also pointed to the Australians' physicality as a complicating factor: "They are very tall, it's not easy to compete against that kind of opponent." Even so, he insisted the squad wouldn't drop their heads: "We know there is still time to recover in the group stage."
The problem is that time is running out. Turkey's next opponents are Paraguay — who opened with a 4-1 hammering at the hands of the United States, the dominant force in Group D. A defeat on Saturday would all but end any hope of advancing.
Speaking of the United States: Golmetria's model sees the Americans as the heavy favourites in the group, with a 95% chance of progressing. For Turkey, every wasted chance weighs heavier than any talk of bad luck.
Thirty shots and not a single goal. That isn't misfortune — it's a question Montella needs to answer before Saturday.