Turkiye win thriller with spirited Euro 2024 debutants Georgia

Dortmund, Germany: Turkiye got their Euro 2024 campaign off to a thrilling start on Tuesday with a 3 1 win over Georgia that brought delight to a pass...

Dortmund, Germany: Turkiye got their Euro 2024 campaign off to a thrilling start on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Georgia that brought delight to a passionate army of fans in soaking wet Dortmund.

Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler crashed in a brilliant goal in the 65th minute at a Westfalenstadion dominated by tens of thousands of Turkiye supporters before Kerem Akturkoglu rolled home the third deep in stoppage time as Georgia pushed for a late leveller.

Guler, 19, had a difficult time with injuries in his first season in Madrid but stepped up for Turkiye in a fiercely-contested match with Georgia, who did not look out of place in their first-ever match at a major international tournament.

Georgia were dangerous after Georges Mikautadze levelled Mert Muldur's 25th-minute opener for Turkiye just after the half-hour mark, and were denied a second equaliser by the woodwork and a series of saves and blocks.