Montella fires back and Paraguay call it a 6-point final

Montella hits back: 'They're men, not robots'

Vincenzo Montella has told critics to back off his players after the 2–0 defeat to Australia. "They're men, not robots," the Türkiye coach said, pushing back against the wave of criticism that followed the Group D opener (1). Fatih Terim and other analysts had torn into the game plan, saying the team "was not playing, but wasting time" against Australia's physical defense. Montella is not having it.

Paraguay striker: this is a 6-point final

Paraguay striker Isidro Pitta has cranked the stakes even higher. "The Türkiye match is not worth 3 points, it's a 6-point final," Pitta said ahead of Friday's Group D clash (5). Paraguay also lost their opener, so both sides come in with zero points and everything on the line.

Paraguay coach expects a battle

Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro is not sugar-coating it. "It will be tough for both Türkiye and us," Alfaro said (6). His side is a traditional South American outfit, physical and hard to break down, exactly the profile that troubled your team against Australia (4).

Hürriyet columnist: time to take responsibility

A Hürriyet columnist has fired a warning before kickoff. The message is blunt: the players must take responsibility now, no more hiding (4). A win keeps the campaign alive. Anything less and the group is effectively over (1) (2). Simulation analyses suggest Türkiye can still advance, but the margin is gone (2).

Thuram says no to Galatasaray

Marcus Thuram is not interested in a move to Galatasaray. The Süper Lig champions have registered interest, but the forward wants to stay in Europe's top four leagues (3). The door looks closed.

Fan reactions

Turkish fans are split. Some back Montella's defense of the squad, arguing the criticism went too far after one bad result. Others are not convinced, the lack of a clear game plan against Australia still stings, and patience is thin ahead of Paraguay. Join the discussion.