Turkiye beats Georgia with beautiful goals!

The Turkish National Team defeated Georgia 3-1 in their opening match of EURO 2024 Group F, starting the tournament with a victory. Cumhuriyet columnist Arif Kızılyalın provides an analysis of the match.

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It seems this tournament will be known for its beautiful goals. In the opening match, two German strikers scored stunning goals. Our team followed suit with two beautiful goals of their own.

Right-back Mert struck the ball so perfectly after Ferdi’s cross was cleared by the defense that the Georgian wall in Dortmund crumbled. Georgian goalkeeper Mamardashvili, considered one of Europe’s best, was left helpless.

As for the match: Coach Montella gave young players a chance on his birthday. Arda, Kenan, and Ferdi all started. The squad was dominated by players born in Germany. We pressed brilliantly in the first 15 minutes.

Luck played a role in Kenan’s shot, saved by the goalkeeper, and Kaan’s rocket that hit the post. Kenan’s goal, however, was ruled offside—twice. They could have stayed a step back. If this goal had counted, the match would have ended there.

The goal we conceded was a typical Georgian goal: they closed down, then broke out quickly and aggressively.

After the equalizer, our nerves were on edge again. Samet is not suited for that position. If only Çağlar hadn't been injured. Montella couldn’t perform miracles; after all, most of the tandems in the Süper Lig are foreign players.

It's hard to judge if goalkeeper Mert could have saved it. However, he made an incredible save just before that.

In the last 20 minutes, the Georgians played well.

Barış should have started on the right wing. He shouldn't play as a central forward. While I was thinking that Arda should not just wear Hakan's number 10 jersey but also take on his role, Montella made the move. The revitalized team created chances. Mert Müldür scored; how could Arda not?

He scored a highlight-reel goal in the most intense moments of the match, leaving his mark.

In the end, the Georgians took risks. Samet, who struggled in the first half, became the hero in stoppage time. Kerem sealed the night's result: 3-1.

This victory also opened the door to the second round.