Turkish national football team set to kick off Euro 2024 with Georgia showdown

The Turkish National Football Team will start its EURO 2024 campaign against Georgia on Tuesday. This match will be Türkiye’s first challenge in the tournament, hosted by Germany. The game will kick off at BVB Dortmund Stadium at 19:00 local time.

Placed in Group F, Türkiye aims to start the tournament with a victory over Georgia. Head coach Vincenzo Montella will lead the team in his ninth match. Montella’s team won their first three matches under his guidance but has struggled recently, failing to secure a win in the last five games.

Match officials, key players in Türkiye vs. Georgia

Argentine referee Facundo Tello will officiate the match, with Gabriel Chade and Ezequiel Brailovsky assisting him. Donatas Rumsas from Lithuania will serve as the fourth official, while Spanish referee Alejandro Hernandez will handle VAR duties.

Midfielder Irfan Can Kahveci will miss the match due to injury. The availability of Ismail Yuksek will be determined on match day. Key players for Türkiye include Hakan Calhanoglu from Inter Milan and young talent Arda Guler from Real Madrid. The squad also features seasoned goalkeeper Altay Bayindir of Manchester United and defenders like Merih Demiral from Al-Ahli.

Türkiye’s EURO 2024 squad

• Goalkeepers: Altay Bayindir (Manchester United), Mert Gunok (Besiktas), Ugurcan Cakir (Trabzonspor)
• Defenders: Mert Mulder, Ferdi Kadioglu (Fenerbahce), Zeki Celik (Roma), Abdulkerim Bardakci (Galatasaray), Ahmetcan Kaplan (Ajax), Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli), Samet Akaydin (Panathinaikos)
• Midfielders: Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter), Ismail Yuksek (Fenerbahce), Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray), Okay Yokuslu (West Bromwich), Orkun Kokcu (Benfica), Salih Ozcan (Borussia Dortmund)
• Forwards: Irfan Can Kahveci (Fenerbahce), Yunus Akgun (Leicester City), Kenan Yildiz (Juventus), Kerem Akturkoglu, Baris Alper Yilmaz (Galatasaray), Arda Guler (Real Madrid), Bertug Yildirim (Rennes), Cenk Tosun, Semih Kilicsoy (Besiktas), Yusuf Yazici (Lille)

Georgia’s EURO 2024 squad

• Goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), Giorgi Loria (Dinamo Tiflis), Luka Gugeshashvili (Karabag)
• Defenders: Solomon Kvirkvelia (Al-Okhdood), Giorgi Gvelesiani (Persepolis), Guram Kashia (Slovan Bratislava), Jemal Tabidze (Panetolikos), Lasha Dvali (APOEL), Luka Lochoshvili (Cremonese), Otar Kakabadze (Cracovia), Giorgi Gocholeishvili (Shakhtar Donetsk)
• Midfielders: Gabriel Sigua (Basel), Giorgi Chakvetadze (Watford), Anzor Mekvabishvili (Universitatea Craiova), Otar Kiteishvili (Sturm Graz), Nika Kvekveskiri (Lech Poznan), Giorgi Kochorashvili (Levante), Sandro Altunashvili (Wolfsberger), Levan Shengelia (Panetolikos), Giorgi Tsitaishvili (Dinamo Batum)
• Forwards: Zuriko Davitashvili (Bordeaux), Budu Zivzivadze (Karlsruher), Georges Mikautadze (Metz), Giorgi Kvilitaia (APOEL), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)

Vincenzo Montella’s leadership will be crucial as Türkiye aims for its first victory of 2024. Montella’s first three matches saw victories, but the team has since gone winless. In these matches, the team scored 11 goals but conceded 12.

Turkish National Football Team’s recent performance

Türkiye has not won any of its matches in 2024. The team played its first match of the year on March 22 against Hungary, losing 1-0. In the second match, Türkiye faced Austria and suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat. The third match against Italy ended in a 0-0 draw, and in the fourth match, Türkiye lost 2-1 to Poland.

Fans and expatriates watching the game can expect an intense match as Türkiye strives to make a strong start in EURO 2024. The team’s performance in this opening match will be critical for building momentum in the tournament.

In other Group F action, Portugal will face the Czech Republic in Leipzig at 22:00 local time. The outcomes of these matches will be pivotal in shaping the group standings.