InterNationals: Calhanoglu back in action for Türkiye

A few minutes with which to rediscover that feeling of boot on grass, to gain match rhythm. Hakan Calhanoglu returned for his first friendly as part of prep for the World Cup, as Türkiye breezed past North Macedonia by four goals to nil. Calha came on in the 88th minute, replacing Muldur, to make his first step on the road to recovery from a calf issue, which kept him out for the past month. Hakan hadn't featured since the Coppa Italia semi-final against Como on 21 April, when his brace kicked off the Nerazzurri's comeback.

He was applauded by the fans at the Chobani Stadium in Istanbul as he entered the field. The hosts had controlled the game from the opening stages, as Montella's men had it all wrapped up inside 16 minutes. Kocku opened the scoring in the second minute before Uzun doubled their lead. Türkiye then added a third through Gul and a fourth through Yilmaz.

In the coming days, Türkiye will fly to the USA, where they will take on Venezuela on 6 June in their final game before the World Cup.

NEXT GAME

Venezuela vs Tüurkiye, Saturday 06/06 01:00 CEST | Friendly| Fort Lauderdale