Türkiye win thriller with spirited Euro 2024 debutants Georgia

DORTMUND, Germany: Türkiye got their Euro 2024 campaign off to a thrilling start on Tuesday (Jun 18) with a 3-1 win over Georgia that brought delight to a passionate army of fans in soaking wet Dortmund.

Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler crashed in a brilliant goal in the 65th minute at a Westfalenstadion dominated by tens of thousands of Türkiye supporters before Kerem Akturkoglu rolled home the third deep in stoppage time as Georgia pushed for a late leveller.

Guler, 19, had a difficult time with injuries in his first season in Madrid but stepped up for Türkiye in a fiercely-contested match with Georgia, who did not look out of place in their first-ever match at a major international tournament.

Georgia were dangerous after Georges Mikautadze levelled Mert Muldur's 25th-minute opener for Türkiye just after the half-hour mark, and were denied a second equaliser by the woodwork and a series of saves and blocks.

But Akturkoglu made sure Türkiye would top the group ahead of Portugal's opening match with the Czech Republic later on Tuesday.

The roars from Muldur's goal had barely subsided when Kenan Yildiz poked home what he thought was Türkiye's second, only for the goal to be ruled out for the Juventus attacker's toes straying offside before he tapped home.

And Mikautadze stunned what was effectively the home crowd in the 32nd minute by sweeping home Giorgi Kochorashvili's low cross after brilliant play down the right.

The small but loud Georgian contingent had their heads in their hands shortly afterwards when Mikautadze look certain to put their team ahead but dragged a great opportunity wide.

Türkiye again started in the front foot after the break but Georgia held their own and Mikautadze was in the thick of it again in the