Arda Guler’s stunning strike from 25 yards made the difference as Turkiye won an incredibly intense game, but Georgia played their part in perhaps the match of the tournament so far.
Mert Muldur gave Turkey the lead in the 25th minute but Georges Mikautadze equalised soon afterwards. Guler hit a goal of the tournament contender in the 65th minute to get the man of the match award and Kerem Akturkoglu completed victory for Turkiye deep into stoppage time.
Here are five things we learnt from the match…
Guler announces himself to the world
Arda Guler has arrived on the big stage. What better way to announce yourself to the wider world than with a 30 yard-screamer into the far corner of goal. The teenager, still only 19, has hardly played much for Real Madrid since signing from Fenerbahce last summer, and Kylian Mbappe’s arrival may further limit his chances, but what a talent Guler is. Along with Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala and Yamine Lamal shining for England, Germany and Spain, Guler is another youngster to emerge among the stars of Euro 2024.
Respectable tournament debut for Georgia
Georgia might have lost but there were no first-night nerves on their debut in tournament football. In a game played at fever pitch, they were at it from the start in front of a passionate crowd, and carved out one or two chances before Turkiye opened the scoring. Even then they did not let their heads drop, and barely five minutes later got the equalised they deserved – a sign of great character and confidence. Guler’s goal of the tournament contender made the difference for Turkiye, but Georgia emerged with great credit.
Football fans the stars of the show in Dortmund
Atmosphere is everything in football, and this was a game that had it all – noise, colour, smokebombs and fan fervour. Long before kickoff Dortmund was awash with red and white and fans from both countries wore their colours with pride, and the noise reached a crescendo by kickoff. Dortmund’s south stand is famously one of the noisiest in football, but taken over by the Turkish fans, it was something else. And the Georgians at the opposite end were not much quieter.
Rapid pace of play makes for entertaining game
Fast and furious is fan-friendly. After England and France won their opening games in pedestrian fashion on Sunday and Monday, Tuesday served up a thrilling treat with Turkiye and Georgia going at it hammer and tongs – and the crowd loved it. This was no chess game – it was played at 100 mph but with plenty of thrills and skills. High octane, high energy and highly entertaining. More of this please.
Perfect referee for fiery affair
UEFA chose the right referee for this explosive game. Facundo Tello is the only non-European referee at the tournament and arrived from Argentina with a hard-man reputation after once sending off TEN men in a game two years ago. He let a full-blooded game flow superbly, but used his whistle wisely when things got too physical. Maybe the Premier League should sign him up.
