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Feusisberg, Switzerland: Switzerland and Turkey will aim to put the ugly scenes that marred their last encounter behind them when they meet today.
Media in both countries have been focusing for weeks on the violence that followed Switzerland's World Cup qualifying playoff victory in Istanbul in November 2005.
But with the teams facing the possibility of an early exit from the tournament after opening game defeats, they have insisted they are concentrating purely on the present.
"Of course, it's not easy to forget what happened in Istanbul," Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta told reporters on Monday. "But we are trying not to dwell on it.
"The only similarity to the situation in Istanbul is that both sides need to win, so Wednesday [today] will be like a final for all of us."
Steering clear
Turkey have steered clear of discussing the Istanbul match at their own news conferences but coach Fatih Terim has spoken in the past of his side's desire to put the matter behind them.
"I'm convinced that both sides will give good examples of fair play both on and off the pitch," he said immediately after December's Euro 2008 draw.
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