Turkey U20 beat North Macedonia U21 3:0 in the Mediterranean Games group stage on Sunday. The Turkish side dominated from the start, with O. Ozcan scoring all three goals to secure a comfortable victory. By then, the group picture was becoming clearer for both nations.
Ozcan opened the scoring in the twenty-sixth minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse. The striker found space in the box and finished clinically to give Turkey the lead. And here's the thing — it was a goal that shifted momentum before North Macedonia could settle.
The second came just before the break, in the forty-first minute. Ozcan was again on hand, this time with a sharper finish after the hosts pinned the visitors back. To be fair, North Macedonia had looked shaky at the back throughout the opening half, and they paid for it.
The third goal arrived in the fifty-ninth minute, completing Ozcan's hat-trick. He picked up a loose ball and hit them on the break, leaving the North Macedonia goalkeeper with no chance. The match was effectively over by then, though the visitors continued to compete without much threat.
Turkey arrived with mixed recent results, having drawn 2:2 with Morocco U20 in their opening fixture. They had lost to Romania and Italy in earlier encounters, but this performance suggested a shift in confidence. North Macedonia, meanwhile, had only managed one win in their last five matches — a 2:0 victory over Armenia U21 — and carried that form into Sunday's clash.
The result leaves Turkey in a strong position in Group Stage 2. Three points from two games puts them ahead of teams still searching for their first win. North Macedonia will need to respond quickly if they want to salvage anything from the tournament.