Turkish support will spur Wales says Bale

Gareth Bale insists Wales will be spurred on by partisan Turkish support at their second game of Euro 2020.

Around 34,000 are expected at Baku's Olympic Stadium tonight, with Turkey able to count on the vast majority of support inside the arena.

Thousands of Turkey fans will be in Baku for the crunch Group A game, including Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while only a few hundred Wales supporters will be present.

Azerbaijan's close cultural, diplomatic and economic ties with Turkey also means the local population are supporting Wales' opponents at a stadium that will be nearly half full to its 69,870 capacity.

"I think it's good to be playing in front of big crowds," said Wales captain Bale, inset. "It will be nice to have that atmosphere at the stadiumandgetbacktoabitofnormality. Obviously we'd prefer tobeplayinginfrontof34,000 Wales fans, but it's not meant to be.

"If anything it kind of spurs us on to be a bit more ruthless onthepitch,andhopefullywe can keep them silent."

Turkish fans are among the most passionate in the world with the big three Istanbul clubs - Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray - known for their vocal and colourful support.

Bale has played in Turkey for Real Madrid and said: "Whenever I've played there before, the atmosphere has been incredible.

"We'll feel like the away team in an away stadium and you know you're going to get a bit more abuse. But all us footballers have dealt with it in the past, it's the normal, and you enjoy it. You feed off the atmosphere. Of course they're not sayinggreatthings,butiguess you want to silence them.

"It gives you bit more motivation if we needed anymore. It's the atmosphere we enjoy the most, and that's what makes football so good."