The first international break of the 2025-26 football season is underway, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifications continue this weekend. Turkey will host Spain in an exciting matchup this Sunday, as both teams have won their first-round games and are tied at the top of their group E table.
This is a very crucial game for the standings of Group E, so what should we expect from this matchup?
| ℹ️ Tournament: | FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifications, Group E, Matchday 2 |
| ⚽️ Venue: | Konya Buyuksehir Belediye Stadium, Konya, Turkey |
| 🗓️ Date: | 7 September 2025 |
| ⏰ Time: | 6:45 p.m. GMT on Sunday |
According to the latest football gambling odds, Turkey is the big home underdog at 5.50 (9/2). A draw is offered at 4.30 (33/10), while Spain is the away favorite at 1.60 (3/5) to beat the Crescent-Stars in the second round.
| Standings | Group A1 Teams | Matches Played | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Spain | 1 | 3 |
| 2nd | Turkey | 1 | 3 |
| 3rd | Georgia | 1 | 0 |
| 4th | Bulgaria | 1 | 0 |
It’s still early to decide who will top the group, but it will most likely be between Turkey and Spain. The top team qualifies directly for the World Cup, while the four best second-place teams in the groups will go to the final playoffs.
Spain has a big historical advantage over the Turkish team, as they have played seven head-to-head games, with Spain winning five, drawing once, and Turkey winning once.
Turkey almost blew a 3-0 lead against Georgia, as the Georgian team scored twice in the last 30 minutes, but that wasn’t enough to get a point. The Crescent-Stars have won four of their last five games and are on a good run, and they are aiming to reach their first World Cup since the 2012 edition.
Baris Alper Yilmaz is suspended for this game, having received a direct red card after being substituted on by six minutes against Georgia. Kerem Akturkoglu and Arda Guler were the best two players for the team in this game. Turkey doesn’t have any injury concerns, and they are playing well offensively, but they are suffering a bit on the defensive end.
The Spanish trusted bookies have La Roja as big favorites to top the group and qualify for the WC. They are coming off a great run in the 2025 Nations League, in which they reached the final and lost to Portugal on penalties. The Spaniards have only one loss in their last 21 games.
Spain had a solid 3-0 home win in the first round against Bulgaria, as Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella, and Mikel Merino scored the winning goals for the team. Martin Zubimendi and Pedri had full control of the midfield, and they were both exceptional in that game.
La Roja have dominated this matchup historically, beating Turkey in five of seven head-to-head encounters. Spain is in much better form as well, beating teams like France, Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands in their last 10 games, so taking down Turkey shouldn’t be a tough task. The best sportsbooks in Turkey believe in the home side, but still have Spain as big favorites to win the game, and we think that their Asian Handicap odds are worth a look at.
Both teams have been struggling defensively lately, as both teams have scored in six of the last seven Spain games, while four of Turkey’s last six matches have had both teams scoring as well. The Turkish team has a lot of talented players in the offensive, as they managed to score at least once in eight of their last 10 games. Spain is currently on a 10-game streak of scoring at least once in their games.
Lamine Yamal was great last Thursday against Bulgaria, and he had an assist. The Spanish winger is on a hot run, as he scored six goals and had four assists in the last seven games for the national team and Barca. Turkey’s defense should struggle against a skilled player like Yamal, and he will be motivated to score his first goal in the World Cup qualifications.
La Roja hasn’t faced many issues beating the Turkish team lately, and we expect that to continue. Make sure you use our 2025 Turkey vs Spain betting predictions and bet them at the legal European bookies to have more fun watching the game.
