Turkey scored two of the best goals seen yet at Euro 2024 as they beat Georgia in a hugely entertaining match at Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.
Mert Muldur’s spectacular volley and Arda Guler’s long-ranger strike helped Turkey overcome a spirited Georgia side playing their first match at a major tournament.
Georgia pushed hard for a late equaliser, only to concede a third goal with the last kick of the game, having thrown all 11 players forward for a corner kick.
The Athletic’s Jacob Whitehead and Michael Cox pick through the key talking points…
Guler belongs on this stage
“Arda Guler has a special talent that can naturally be used closer to goal rather than further away,” Carlo Ancelotti said at the end of last season. The Real Madrid manager may be proved right — but the 19-year-old Turkey midfielder is already pretty spectacular from 30 yards.
Muldur was probably thinking he had scored Turkey’s defining goal of the tournament — the Fenerbahce right-back volleying into the top corner with superb ball-strike technique — to ignite a side who have disappointed at recent tournaments.
But after a second goal was ruled out for offside, and Georgia equalised midway through the first half, the frenetic pace was replaced with a more sedate second 45 minutes: Turkey against the debutants’ five-man block.
The solution to a low block? Go over it, not through it. Guler appears destined to feature at Europe’s top table for the next decade — but he may well never score a better goal than that he produced after 65 minutes, skipping infield before arcing a shot around Giorgi Mamardashvili and into the top corner.
It is worth highlighting that this was the crowning moment of an excellent display, not an outlier. On his substitution after 79 minutes, he received a standing ovation. Guler’s talent has not been a secret, but this was confirmation that he is a player for now, rather than the future.
Jacob Whitehead
Turkey fans celebrate Guler’s goal (Angel Martinez – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Kvaratskhelia overshadowed by Mikautadze
It certainly sounded like Georges Mikautadze stole Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s thunder — the noise that greeted Georgia’s first goal at a major tournament rivalled Turkey’s rapture when Muldur had given them the lead.
Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia is Georgia’s undisputed star and led their attack — nutmegging a Turkish defender in the opening minutes and having a deflected shot smartly saved by Mert Gunok. Frequently, Kvaratskhelia dropped deep to pick the ball up; the pace of the game was such that Turkey’s midfield could not afford to spare a player to mark him.
But the honour of launching Georgia’s tournament fell to his striker partner Mikautadze, a 23-year-old forward who has endured a difficult season after both signing for and falling out of favour at Ajax. After failing to score in Amsterdam, he returned to Metz on loan in January — and caught light with 13 goals in 20 Ligue 1 appearances.
He was in the perfect place to convert Giorgi Kochorashvili’s cutback in the 33rd minute, catching out Gunok at his near-post with a low, accurate finish.
Amid a frantic game, he momentarily appeared the figure with the calmest head… before he snatched at a chance to put his team 2-1 ahead two minutes later.
Jacob Whitehead
Georges Mikautadze and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrate the former’s goal (Christina Pahnke/Getty Images)
Best atmosphere of Euro 2024 so far?
Euro 2024 has been notable for the quality of atmospheres and the sheer number of fans in attendance at matches across the country. But Turkey vs Georgia took it to a new level.
Most supporters were here cheering on the favourites, who were boosted by the huge number of people of Turkish descent living in Germany. They arrived at the ground several hours in advance, battling horrendous weather conditions (the rain was so heavy before kick-off that it caused an Old Trafford-like waterfall from the roof onto the terraces below) and creating a huge noise inside the stadium.
Georgia had plenty of travelling support, too. It was difficult to estimate what percentage of supporters they had, due to both sets of fans wearing red and white. But, clearly, there were few neutrals in attendance.
There were some ugly scenes around an hour before kick-off, with riot police dispatched to break up scuffles between the two sets of fans in one corner of the stadium. But by and large, this was a proper football occasion: huge numbers of fans, a terrifying noise and, probably not coincidentally, a great game of football.
Michael Cox
What did Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella say?
“It was a match worthy of the finals. We’ve never got beyond the group stage in the last three Euros; we didn’t even pick up a point last time.
“Our first target was to win this match. Now we’ve won it, the dream is to win the next one and reach the knockout stage. I’m turning 50 today so this was the best present I could have received.”
What did Georgia coach Willy Sagnol say?
“The feelings are a bit mixed. We had many chances to score. I don’t want to say deserved or not deserved because this is the story of football. We hoped for a better start but I am proud of my players.
“Arda Guler is a great talent, he will get more experience and score many more. We are learning fast and becoming better as a team.”
What next for Turkey?
Saturday, June 22: Portugal (Dortmund), 5pm BST, noon ET
What next for Georgia?
Saturday, June 22: Czech Republic (Hamburg), 2pm BST, 9am ET
Recommended reading
(Top photo: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
