What seemed like a match on track at the break with 2-0 in favor of the Portuguese after goals from Otávio and Jota, was complicated for Portugal with 2-1 in minute 64. Even in minute 83, Lille striker Yilmaz , could have tied the tie if he had not missed a penalty.
The meeting was resolved by Matheus Nunes in 93, after scoring the final 3-1.
The best of Portugal, Diogo Jota and Otávio, while Cristiano Ronaldo was very blurred and “fallón”.
In the first fifteen minutes, Portugal was a real cyclone and had several chances to pierce the Turkish goal.
It was in the 14th minute when the Portuguese opened the scoring thanks to a play between Cristiano and Diogo Jota that Bernardo Silva finished off from the edge of the area. The ball crashed into the base of the post and the Portuguese nationalized Brazilian winger Otávio took advantage of the rebound and scored the first goal of the contest.
However, Portugal relaxed after the first quarter of an hour and the Turks took oxygen, stretched and the first chances came.
In the 20th minute, a mistake by Danilo Pereira -today as a central defender due to the absence of Rúben Dias and Pepe- ended with a loose shot to the center of the goal that goalkeeper Diogo Costa picked up, today the starter after Rui Patrício remained on the bench.
Two minutes later, a new arrival from Turkey, a cross from the right and Galatasaray Kutlu’s header inside the small area in the middle skimmed the base of the post.
And in the 26th the trouble continued for “las quinas”, a new defensive error, now by Dalot, which ended with a shot from the edge of the area by the Feyenoord player Orkun Kokcu that went far from the reach of the Portuguese keeper.
Turkey lived more from the lack of Portuguese ambition than from their own football and with four minutes to go, an excellent play by Portugal’s right with a mid-range cross from Otávio for Liverpool winger Diogo Jota to score the 2-0 after a sensational header .
At the break, Portugal had the semifinal on track under the delirium of the Portuguese public that packed the Estadio do Dragao.
In the second half, the same script, Portugal dominated and the first came in the 47th minute with a shot by the Portuguese number 10, Bernardo Silva, who hit the base of the post head-on, but the Trabzonspor goalkeeper, Cakir, starred an excellent intervention.
However, when everything seemed controlled by the Portuguese, an excellent combination arrived on the edge of the area between the Marseille winger (on loan from Roma) Under and the Lille striker Yilmaz, who scored the 2-1 in the 64th minute.
In the following minutes, Turkey pressed after the inertia of the goal and with Portugal somewhat more conservative.
Yilmaz became a danger for the Portuguese defense and, in the 68th minute, the Turks even asked for a penalty after contact in the area with Danilo, although the striker had dropped.
In the absence of 20 minutes, Fernando Santos gave entry to the colchonero Joao Félix to replace the most offensive player in Portugal, Diogo Jota.
Four minutes earlier, German coach Stefan Kuntz brought on Getafe striker and second-highest scorer (14 goals) in the Spanish League, Enes Unal, who replaced Akturkoglu.
In 74, a very clear one for Portugal. Guerreiro crossed from the left for Otávio to finish off with pleasure in the small area, although the ball went far from the goal.
The key moment of the match, the 80th minute, when José Fonte committed a penalty on Enes Unal, which, initially, was not called, although the referee marked the maximum penalty after reviewing the play.
He launched in 83 Yilmaz, Diogo Jota under sticks, and the ball went to the clouds. He breathed the Portuguese fans in Porto and, especially, José Fonte to see how his partner from Lille missed the shot.
Already in stoppage time, Ronaldo, incomprehensibly, missed a chance in the small area when he only had to push it.
And when there was a minute to go, the “sportinguista” Matheus Nunes resolved the match, he was left alone against the Turkish goalkeeper and defined crossed to the back of the net.
Even in 95 Cristiano had it, but his shot, with the goalkeeper beaten, went to the crossbar.
After five minutes of injury time, final whistle and Portugal qualified for the play-off final, which will be played on March 29 at the same Estadio do Dragao.
Match sheet:
3 – Portugal: Diogo Costa, Jose Fonte, Raphael Guerreiro (Nuno Mendes, min. 88), Danilo Pereira, Diogo Dalot, Otávio (Rafael Leao, min. 88), Joao Moutinho (Matheus Nunes, min. 88), Bernardo Silva , Bruno Fernandes (William Carvalho, min. 80), Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota (Joao Félix, min. 70).
1 – Turkey: Ugurcan Cakir, Caglar Soyuncu, Ozan Kabak, Merih Demiral, Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu (Enes Unal, min. 66), Berkan Kutlu (Dursun, min. 90), Mehmet Zeki Çelik (Yazici, min. 80), Orkun Kökcü (Tokoz, min. 80), Hakan Calhanoglu, Burak Yilmaz, Cengiz Under.
Goals: 1-0 min. 14: Otavio; 2-0, min. 41: Diogo Jota; 2-1 min, 64: Yilmaz; 3-1 min. 93: Matheus Nunes.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany). He booked Diogo Jota, Otávio and João Moutinho for Portugal and the Turks Zeki Çelik, Calhanoglu and Demiral.
Incidents: Semifinal of the European group playoff for the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualification, played at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto.
