Arda Guler's Spectacular Strike Propels Turkey to 3-1 Victory Over Georgia in Euro 2024 Opener

As they battled it out in the pouring rain at a boisterous Dortmund BVB Stadion on Tuesday, Turkey defeated tournament newcomers Georgia 3-1 thanks to a spectacular long-range goal from teenager Arda Guler.

Thanks to Germany's sizable Turkish community, the match had everything from spectacular goals to shots flying off the woodwork to late drama in an intense environment fostered by the boisterous Turkish fans. It was maybe the best match of the tournament thus far.

Georgia gave as good as they got, threatening an equalizer with a header off the post in the sixth minute and prompting a goal-saving block by Samet Akaydin to deny Budu Zivzivadze late in the game. Although Turkey enjoyed the majority of the possession, they were frequently exposed in defense and had to dig deep.

In the twenty-fiveth minute, Mert Muldur handed Turkey a well-earned lead when he curled a volley past Georgia's defenseless goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from the edge of the box.

After a swift counterattack, a little more than a minute later, Kenan Yildiz believed he had given Turkey their second goal, but his effort was disallowed for offside.

In their only major international event, Georgia equalized in the 32nd minute when Georges Mikautadze turned a cross from Giorgi Kochorashvili past Mert Gunok, who ought to have covered his near post more carefully.

In the second half, Turkey appeared more animated and regained control of the game, trapping Georgia with their constant, intense pressure while also leaving them vulnerable to counterattacks from either side.

It took until the 65th minute for Turkey to convert their domination into a lead, thanks to a goal from the 19-year-old Guler, who entered the competition fresh off a run of goals for Real Madrid.

Player of the game Guler demonstrated why Real Madrid supporters are so enthusiastic about his potential when he curled a shot that was unstoppable and went beyond the keeper's reach into the top corner.

"There are no words to express how happy I am. "I was always dreaming of this goal," Guler said to Turkish TV following the game.

This is the shot I've been practicing lately at the conclusion of training sessions. I'm overjoyed with my current score."

Georgia attempted to rally for a late equalizer, but Kerem Akturkoglu got free, raced to the opposite end, and passed into an empty net in added time to make it 3-1. Mamardashvili had come all the way up the field for a succession of corners.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.