Turkey vs Georgia LIVE: Euro 2024 result and reaction after Arda Guler wonder goal
Turkey 3-1 Georgia: Fans clashed in Dortmund after heavy rain saw leaks at the Westfalenstadion leaving supporters drenched, before the game of the tournament unfolded on the pitch
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Teenager Arder Guler’s superb long-range strike helped Turkey to a victorious start to their Euro 2024 campaign with a 3-1 win over tournament debutants Georgia amid a fevered atmosphere in Dortmund.
Mert Muldur gave Turkey a deserved lead in the 25th minute, smashing a swerving volley past helpless Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from the edge of the box. Georgia, playing their first major international tournament, equalised in the 32nd minute when Georges Mikautadze turned Giorgi Kochorashvili’s cross past Mert Gunok, who should have done better in covering his near post.
The 19-year-old Guler, coming into the tournament fresh from a run of goals for Real Madrid, scored after 65 minutes, curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Georgia pressed for a late equaliser but, with Mamardashvili coming up for a series of corners, Kerem Akturkoglu broke away and passed into an empty net in added time to make it 3-1.
Follow all the reaction below, which continues with updates from Portugal vs Czechia in Group F
Brawls, biblical rain and wonder goals: How Turkey vs Georgia turned Euro 2024 upside down
You’d be forgiven for having earmarked Turkey vs Georgia as the most low-key fixture of the Euro 2024 group stage. After all, the combined ranking of the teams was the most modest at the tournament so far, and Georgia entered Group F with no European Championship experience to their name. This game, though? It turned into something far beyond a football match.
Perhaps that should have been evident in the hours before kick-off. Biblical rain and severe weather warnings led German authorities to encourage fans without tickets to stay inside, and to watch the match at home if possible. The elements were deemed a threat to the safety of supporters, before their safety was even threatened by fan violence inside the BVB Stadion in Dortmund.
But when that violence began, as water spilt through the roof of the arena and fans spilt from their seats to attack one another, questions arose. Would the game go ahead, and if it were to, would it even resemble a football match?
To say the tension could be cut with a knife would be to give unnecessary credit to knives. You could have lacerated the tension with a balloon.
It felt as though everything could come crashing down at any moment, courtesy of the slightest move or even thought. It felt as if a foul on the pitch could incite a riot off it, such was the air of hostility, yet thankfully the violence in the stands did seem to have subsided by kick-off.
Read Alex Pattle’s match report below.
Brawls, biblical rain and wonder goals: Turkey vs Georgia turns Euro 2024 upside down
Turkey 3-1 Georgia: Fan violence and storms added an edge to the Group F game before it had even kicked off
Euro 2024 results so far
So after an enthralling opening match of Group F in Dortmund, here’s an updated list of the results so far at Euro 2024.
Turkey sit at the top of the group ahead of the 8pm kick-off between Portugal and Czech Republic. Those three points could be vital in progressing into the last 16 and finishing in second place, likely providing them an ‘easier’ draw in the next round.
Friday, June 14
Group A, Munich: Germany 5-1 Scotland
June 15
Group A, Cologne: Hungary 1-3 Switzerland
Group B, Berlin: Spain 3-0 Croatia
Group B, Dortmund: Italy 2-1 Albania
June 16
Group D, Hamburg: Poland 1-2 Netherlands
Group C, Stuttgart: Slovenia 1-1 Denmark
Group C, Gelsenkirchen: Serbia 0-1 England
June 17
Group E, Munich: Romania 3-0 Ukraine
Group E, Frankfurt: Belgium 0-1 Slovakia
Group D, Dusseldorf: Austria 0-1 France
June 18
Group F, Dortmund: Turkey 3-1 Georgia
FULL-TIME: Turkey 3-1 Georgia
FULL-TIME! Turkey 3-1 Georgia
FULL-TIME! The referee brings the game to an end shortly after the goal, and Turkey have a deserved three points in what has been the most entertaining game of Euro 2024 so far.
Portugal team news
Portugal XI: Diogo Costa, Dalot, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Ronaldo, Rafael Leao
Czechia XI: Czechia XI: Stanek, Holes, Hranac, Krejci, Coufal, Sulc, Soucek, Provod, Doudera, Kuchta, Schick
GOAL! Turkey 3-1 Georgia
97 mins
GOAL! And Turkey seal it!
Georgia have two consecutive corners and Mamardashvili has stayed up. The second ball in is punched away by Gunok, and Aktürkoğlu collects it with the Georgia ‘keeper still in the opposition box. He’s in acres of space and he races towards Georgia’s unguarded goal, before coolly passing it into an open net to spark bedlam at the BVB Stadion.
Portugal team news
Portugal have named their team and Cristiano Ronaldo will be leading the line in their first Euro 2024 match against Czechia.
There is a strong Premier League contingent, including Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Dalot to make up the side.
Euro 2024: Turkey 2-1 Georgia
96 mins
SO CLOSE!
Kvaratskhelia swings the ball in and it beats every man in the box before crashing against the post! The rebound bounces to Zivzivadze, who practically has the open goal to aim at, but Akaydin dives in to block it and it goes out for a corner!
Euro 2024: Turkey 2-1 Georgia
95 mins
Georgia aren’t giving up but they’re running out of time. They win a free-kick midway through the Turkey half, on the left wing. Mamardashvili is coming up...
Euro 2024: Turkey 2-1 Georgia
93 mins
CLOSE! So nearly an equaliser for Georgia!
Brilliant work from Kvaratskhelia down the left to beat his man and cut it back into the box. The ball deflects up into the path of Mikautadze, but there’s confusion between him and Kochorashvili and they both go to hit it, with the ball bouncing off both before it rolls agonisingly wide.
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