Teenager Arda Güler’s superb long-range strike helped Turkey to a winning start in their Euro 2024 campaign with a 3-1 result over tournament debutants Georgia amid a fevered atmosphere in Dortmund on Tuesday.
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.