Turkey begin their Euro 2024 campaign with victory over competition newcomers Georgia.
Turkey begin their Euro 2024 campaign with 3-1 victory over competition newcomers Georgia, starting Group F of the competition off with a bang.
The Crescent-Stars were winless in their last five matches heading into this opening contest in Dortmund but worries of another European collapse were quashed after 25 minutes when Mert Muldur hit a sweet volley from the edge of the box to hand the 2008 semi-finalist the lead.
Extremely keen to show that they are not in Germany to make up the numbers of the 24-team competition, Georgia restored parity in the contest seven minutes later thanks to Georges Mikautadze, who will now forever have the title of netting his nation’s first-ever goal at a major tournament.
After playing a bit-part role for Spanish and European champions Real Madrid this season, Turkey sensational Arda Guler stepped into the continental spotlight and fired Vincenzo Montella’s men back in front on 65 minutes, before the Crescent-Stars added a third in stoppage time through Kerem Akturkoglu.
Following their distrasous Euro 2020 campaign – in which they failed to collect any points and managed just a single goal – success in Dortmund against Georgia will have gone a long way in restoring pride and confidence in the Turkish national side, who are now within touching distance of the knockout stages.
On his 50th birthday, Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella picked up a side full of exciting attacking talent, including Real Madrid Arda Guler, who recently became the first Turkish player to win the Champions League, whilst Juventus prospect Kenan Yildiz made his major tournament debut on the other flank.
All of Georgia’s starting contingent were making their bows on the biggest of continental stages, yet the Euro newcomers still possessed a massive threat in forward areas thanks to their two-man strike force, with Napoli hero Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze regular goalscorers in top European leagues.
After failing massively at Euro 2024 – despite being the majority of people’s dark horses for victory – the Crescent-Stars were in no mood for waiting around in rainy Dortmund, with an early contender for goal of the tournament from an unlikely source putting Montella’s men ahead.
Probing the Georgian backline down the left, Fenerbahce man Ferdi Kadioglu whipped in a delivery that was firstly cleared by a defender before rolling into the path of club teammate Mert Muldur, who stepped onto the ball expertly and fired a rising volley into the near corner before Giorgi Mamardashvili could appropriately react.
Arguably just content with being at a major tournament for the first time in their history, Georgia were not disheartened by an early setback, and only seven minutes after Turkey had taken the lead in extraordinary fashion, Willy Sagnol’s side produced their own magical moment.
Taking advantage of a brief period of dominance, midfielder Giorgi Kochorashvili danced around the side of the the Turkish defence before standing up a defender, with the 24-year-old then finding a yard of space and playing a cross to Mikautadze, who punched a low effort past Mert Gunok and into the near post.
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