Hakan Calhanoglu and his teammates beat Willy Sagnol’s men (3-1), who held on for a long time, on Tuesday, before giving in at the end of the match.
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Already better than in 2021. Pitifully eliminated during the previous edition, with three defeats in the group stage, Turkey started Euro 2024 with a great success against Georgia (3-1), which is playing its first competition major international, Tuesday June 18. With the fervent support of a large part of the public at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund (Germany), Vincenzo Montella’s men delivered a successful performance against the valiant but dominated Georgians, who gave in to magnificent strikes from Mert Müldür (26th) and Arda Güler (65th).
Despite a clear domination (60% possession) and far from being unproductive (11 shots) in the first period, the Turks long lacked edge in the zone of truth, like the post found by Kaan Ayhan from the starts (10th). They finally spotted the flaw with a superb volley into the top corner from Mert Müldür, then with a curling shot into the other corner from the Real Madrid prodigy, Arda Güler (19), shortly after the hour mark. future teammate of Kylian Mbappé offered Turkey a victory far from certain after the equalizer of Georges Mikautadze (32nd). At the very end of stoppage time, Kerem Akturkoglu increased the score (90th + 8).
The first half hour of the match announced a one-sided match: Mert Muldur (26th) confirmed the Turkish domination, and the score would have been heavier if Kaan Ayhan had not hit the post (10th) and if Kenan Yildiz had not He was not offside for a breath on what could have been the goal of the break (27th). It was the Franco-Georgian Georges Mikautadze who sparked the revolt, finishing his first opportunity (32nd) after superb work from Giorgi Kochorashvili. The FC Metz striker even came close to the double a few minutes later, narrowly missing his scissor (35th).
After the second Turkish goal scored by Arda Güler, Willy Sagnol’s men missed a flurry of chances to equalize. The decisive passer Giorgi Kochorashvili first found the bar (70th), then missed the target from close range in added time (90th+2), slightly hampered by his teammate Georges Mikautadze. At the end of added time, it was the post that saved Turkey from a free kick from Neapolitan Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, before Kerem Akturkoglu killed the match on the counter-attack from the final Georgian corner.
