Euro 2024: Turkiye Beats Neighbour Georgia In Dortmund Thriller (Image: x.com/EURO2024)

What has been marked as the match of the tournament so far, neighbours Turkiye and Georgia delivered a spectacular thriller in Dortmund, which ultimately saw the Crescent-Stars emerging victorious with a 3-1 scoreline. Mert Müldür, Arda Güler, and Kerem Aktürkoğlu scored fantastic goals for Turkiye, while Georges Mikautadze scored Georgia’s consolation goal. After exiting the last two UEFA Euro cups in the group stages, Turkiye is expected to advance to the group of 16 if they can deliver the same spirit and gameplay in the upcoming Group F matches against mighty Portugal and consistent Czechia.

Both Müldür’s and Güler’s goals were ethereal and are contenders for the goal of the tournament. Müldür’s volley was a kind of recreation of Zinedine Zidane’s famous goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League final. Meanwhile, the young Real Madrid star’s goal looked like what world-class players like David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldinho, or Messi score from the flanks but with a little more beauty attached to it.

There were at least three chances for Georgia that would have made the difference if it were not for the woodwork or Turkiye’s goalkeeper Mert Günok denying them. They hit the woodwork twice, and Günok stopped another fantastic opportunity. Giorgi Mamardashvili, the Georgian goalkeeper, was also exceptional in protecting the goal area. The best moment happened when Hakan Çalhanoğlu, known for his extraordinary skills in set pieces, shot a boomer directly into the net, and Mamardashvili was quick to deny Turkiye the goal.

As some expected, the Georgia vs. Turkiye match was not an easy affair. Speed, accuracy, shots on target, and awesome goals were in abundance when the neighbours met. Georgia’s die-hard spirit made the game one of the best in Euro 2024 so far.

The revelation in the national shirt was teenager Arda Güler. He had his Messi and Iniesta moment in the goal area as he was seen surrounded by many Georgia players. It wasn’t just that: he also made sure that his presence in the attack created enough troubles for the Georgian defence, which had kind of parked a bus in front of the goal keeper to resist the barrage of Turkiye attacks.