Arda Guler’s sensational second-half strike sent Turkey on their way to a 3-1 win over Georgia in a hugely-entertaining opening clash in Group F at Euro 2024. These two sides have had to wait over the first few days of the tournament to get their chance to feature, and there was a danger that wait could be extended ahead of kick-off, as torrential rain fell in Dortmund and created waterfalls from the roof at Signal Iduna Park.
The rain did ease though and allowed a match of thrilling pace to be played, with Kaan Ayhan smacking an early effort against the post. Turkey did get their deserved first-half lead, when Mert Muldur, up from right-back, volleyed a stunning effort into the top corner. But Georgia, making their debut at a major tournament, levelled it up before the break. Giorgi Kochorashvili drifted into the box, fired a low ball into the middle and Georges Mikautadze squeezed a first-time finish in at the near post.
It left the match firmly in the balance heading into half-time, and it remained that way until Real Madrid’s Guler took centre stage midway through the second period. He picked the ball up 25 yards out and whipped a wonderful effort into the top corner, leaving the stadium bouncing. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s late free-kick smacked back off the post, before a remarkable block from Samet Akaydin denied Georgia what looked to be a certain equaliser. They threw everything at it, their race only run when Akturkoglu broke away and had the final say.
