It’s understandable if you see Turkey vs. Georgia is the most low-key Euro 2024 group stage match. It’s like making a low-stakes bet at Vave Casino. After all, the teams’ combined ranking was the lowest so far. Georgia entered Group F with no experience in the European Championship. Sure, here you go: “This match, though, transformed into something more than a game of football.”
সূচিপত্রঃ
Weather and Violence Before the Game
It should have been apparent in the hours preceding the start of the match. Biblical rain and severe weather warnings hit Germany, leading authorities to tell fans without tickets to stay inside and say they would watch the game at home if possible. These items were seen as a threat to supporters’ safety. Then, violence by fans threatened them inside the BVB Stadium in Dortmund.
On-field Excellence Amidst Chaos
But then the violence began. Water spewed through the arena’s roof, and fans sprang from their seats to attack one another. The following was a matter of debate: Would the game take place, and if so, would it resemble a football match?
Given the way Borussia Dortmund’s stadium contains and augments sound, there is something almost oppressive and overwhelming about it—intimidating, even, on this occasion. The arena struggled to contain more than noise. It held no water or the fighting urges of some supporters.
Saying the tension could be cut with a knife would unnecessarily credit knives. You could dissipate the stress by using a balloon.
It felt as though everything could crash at any moment—a tiny move or thought could do it. The air was so hostile that a foul on the pitch could start a riot. But the violence in the stands had calmed by kick-off.
The showdown between Turkey and Georgia at Euro 2024 was a real nail-biter. Turkish fans disrupted the Georgian national anthem using flares and drums and continued to be hostile throughout the game. Kaan Ayhan almost scored for Turkey, but he hit the post. Then, Mert Muldur scored an incredible goal—the tournament’s highlight.
Game-Changing Moments
Twenty-five minutes they had passed. The Turkish right-back arrived at the edge of the box as the ball fell from the sky. Lashes of rain surrounded it. Muldur’s brilliant finish with his right foot found the top corner.
Turkey believed they had secured a second goal in less than two minutes. Kenan Yildiz turned in a tap-in, but it was denied for being offside. But the Turkish team and their fans made this match their own. Even though it was no fun to be found in Dortmund, they still did it. Georgia’s players and supporters dominated the scene.
As another Turkish flare ignited, the Georgians’ spirits were high. They reacted to a body check on Giorgi Chakvetadze. They requested their team take a firm stance, and the team complied.
Rain spat through the leftover haze of the latest flare. In those scenes, Georgia found euphoria, even though they bordered on dystopia. Georges Mikautadze found euphoria. He saw it as an equalizer. His run was to the near post. His tap-in sent the ball under Turkish goalkeeper Mert Gunok.
A Tumultuous Second Half
Half-time offered a brief break. Pulses and heart rates slowed. But then, the chaos returned.
When Muldur fouled Georgia’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the referee told the benches to calm down. He could have demanded the same when Turkey wanted a penalty for a trip and shove on Arda Guler, but the Real Madrid teenager had been fouled outside the box.
Nothing came of the free kick, but Guler soon conjured more chaos. The 19-year-old needed more time and space outside the area. He skillfully directed the ball into the upper corner of the goal. The chaos came in the stands – in the celebrations of Turkey fans – but the strike itself was much more refined.
Georgia continued to fight. They almost scored when Giorgi Kochorashvili chested down the ball in Turkey’s box. He flicked it over a defender’s leg but then lofted it onto the bar. That moment marked the closest Georgia came to evening the score, also to an added-time header that hit the post.
Continued Efforts and the Final Whistle
Moments after the latter effort, Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu scored for Turkey. He finished a counter by rolling the ball into an empty net. Georgia’s keeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, had left his post. His side was desperate for an equalizer.
Turkey fans celebrated the win around the ground. They waved their phone torches, which lit the rain, which had not stopped for four hours. The area surrounding the stadium was filled with the sound of car horns celebrating.
Turkey and Georgia faced off in a game amidst stormy weather during Euro 2024. They so happened to create one, too.
