Manchester United’s goalkeepers were in the spotlight on international duty.
Senne Lammens took centre stage once again when he made his international debut for Belgium, in their 7-0 victory over minnows Liechtenstein.
Reflective of his poor fortunes at the moment, Altay Bayindir had a much tougher night as he was recalled by Turkey to face Spain.
Lammens only had to face one shot, while Bayindir was forced to pick the ball out of his own net twice.
Altay Bayindir’s performance
Altay Bayindir was playing his first game since Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford at the end of September.
Bayindir, 27, was subsequently dropped for Senne Lammens, who has won acclaim for his performances from former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
That’s why Bayindir’s recall to the Turkey line-up was exactly what he needed, amid his own uncertain future at Manchester United.
It gave him an opportunity to play a match against a top-level opponent, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
🇹🇷 Altay Bayındır Performance vs. Spain
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Final Score | 2-2 |
| Goals Conceded | 2 |
| Shots Faced (On Target) | 9 |
| Saves Made | 7 |
| Save Percentage | 77.8% |
| Accurate Long Balls | 31.0% |
| Yellow Cards | 1 |
Bayindir put in a creditable performance, making seven saves from the nine shots he faced, against a Spain team that dominated possession, with 68 per cent.
Speaking at full-time he told Milliyet: “Everyone needs to be ready. Even if you’re feeling down, or if they try to knock you down, you keep going until the end. I kept thinking about the match, and my confidence was high.
“I needed a match like this. I’m happy for myself and my team.”
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Turkey could qualify for the World Cup
Bayindir refused to get too high on added: “We didn’t win, so there’s no point in getting too excited.”
He knows there is still work to do, with Turkey securing a spot in the World Cup playoffs to take place next March. They will find out their opponents in the draw later today.
⚽ Final World Cup Qualifying Table: Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GD | Pts | Qualification Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | +19 | 16 | Qualified |
| 2 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 13 | Play-offs |
| 3 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −8 | 3 | Eliminated |
| 4 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −16 | 3 | Eliminated |
The game could be Bayindir’s last for a little while. He will now return to Manchester United, to be the back-up for Senne Lammens.
This showing against Spain could have a double impact. Firstly, it helps him stay sharp physically and mentally in case Manchester United do need him in the event of injury or suspension.
Secondly it could have a serious motivating factor for Bayindir to push for a January transfer move, so that he can play regular football ahead of the World Cup playoffs, if he is needed.
United may be open to letting Bayindir leave, but would need to bring in a back-up to shadow Senne Lammens. Swedish goalkeeper Melker Ellborg was a name linked last week.
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