Turkey draw on historical support

Historical comfort
Goals from Philippe Senderos and Valon Behrami earned the Swiss an imposing lead at the Stade de Suisse on Saturday, but Turkey have been able to seek solace in the adage that much comfort is borne in history. A little over 17 years ago, perennial Turkish frontrunners Galatasaray SK found themselves with an even bigger mountain to climb after losing 3-0 at Swiss side Neuchâtel Xamax FC in the European Champion Clubs' Cup second round.

Blanket support
But they achieved the seemingly impossible as Turkey striker Tanju Çolak scored a hat-trick, including two goals in the last ten minutes, in a 5-0 victory at the Ali Sami Yen stadium which secured a memorable aggregate win. They would reach the semi-finals, eventually losing to FC Steaua Bucuresti, and Turkey supporters have been preparing banners reminding their players that it is possible to overcome similar adversity this evening.

Heartfelt belief
Fans throughout the country have been urging each other to put their club associations to one side and unite behind the national team, and their backing is appreciated by the players. "Turkey will go to the World Cup," said goalkeeper Volkan Demirel. "All of us believe that from the heart. There will be 50,000 more believers in the stands so we will achieve what we failed to do in Berne."

'No alarm'
Midfielders Emre Belözoğlu and Yıldıray Baştürk played no part in that 'failure' at the weekend, but could be in line to return at the Şükrü Saraçoğlu stadium as Hüseyin Çimşir and Hasan Şaş are ruled out through suspension and injury, respectively. Yıldıray would bring a wealth of UEFA Champions League and international experience, and has been in positive mood in the build-up, saying: "The defeat in Switzerland was painful but there's no need to be alarmed. We have one more chance and we'll give it our best shot."

Turkish backlash
It remains to be seen whether their best will be good enough but visiting coach Jakob Kuhn is wary of the potential backlash his charges face in Istanbul after Turkey's poor showing in Berne. Kuhn will field Christoph Spycher at left-back in place of the banned Ludovic Magnin, while Johan Vonlanthen could get the nod in attack alongside Alexander Frei instead of Marco Streller.

Content but cautious
The Swiss are unbeaten in 14 internationals, including the World Cup qualifying campaign, yet Kuhn is not entirely satisfied. "I'm happy with how things stand but also a little disappointed that we didn't make more of the chances we had," he said. "Winning 2-0 is a good result but it doesn't mean we're through. I'm sure we'll see a Turkish side who are keen to restore their pride in front of their home crowd." There will be 50,000 fans packed inside the stadium expecting nothing less.

Additional reporting by Marco Keller