Turkiye has firmly left the woes of Euro 2020 behind with a statement victory against Georgia in their opening game of UEFA Euro Cup 2024. Vincenzo Montella led his side expertly to a priceless 3-1 win at a rainy Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Georgia will be proud of their performance and the fact that they made history by scoring their first-ever goal in a major tournament.
Next up for the winners is a game against Portugal in the same stadium. The three points against Georgia will provide a massive boost to Turkiye‘s qualification chances. As for Georgia, a trip to Hamburg awaits them with a second matchday fixture against Czechia scheduled for Saturday. The encounter provided thrilling entertainment from minute one with box-to-box soccer being played, leading to many calling it the match of the Euros so far.
Turkiye’s quality eventually proved too much for Georgia
Vincenzo Montella’s side began the proceedings with a very aggressive man-oriented press, causing the Georgian backline all sorts of trouble. The pressure led to the first goal, scored by Mert Muldur with a tremendous volley. However, as the game progressed Georgia settled well and was comfortable in playing out from the back. Some of their passing sequences and combinations provided an attractive sight for the viewers.
Nonetheless, for all the courage shown by Georgia, they will be disappointed with the uninspiring display of their star man, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The nation also missed some golden chances in front of the goal adding to their misery. During the latter stages, Georgian players ran out of energy and were punished deservingly by a Turkiye side who were determined to commence their European run on a high.
19-year-old Arda Guler leads the way for his country
A lot of pre-match talk was around Arda Guler, and whether the coach would gamble by starting a talented yet inexperienced midfielder. Guler, though, was in tune since the kickoff, providing a constant threat on Turkiye’s right flank. Real Madrid fans are already aware of the 19-year-old’s prowess in front of goal and the former Fenerbahce man made sure to make the soccer community witness his unmatched genius.
In the second half, Arda Guler drifted to the center of the forward line, to be involved in the play a lot more. In the 65ᵗʰ minute, Guler took the ball from the right flank and unleashed a delightful curling finish into the top left corner. The goal is undoubtedly amongst the best scored in the UEFA Euro 2024 so far. Arda Guler’s displays will inevitably have a direct influence on how far Turkiye can reach in the tournament.