Turkey begins its Euro 2024 campaign against newcomer Georgia on Tuesday knowing a winning start in one of the tournament’s weaker groups would give it a great chance of making the knockout stages after disappointing last time around.
Tipped as dark horses going into Euro 2020, Turkey crashed out having lost all three group-stage games but it impressed in qualifying for Germany as it topped a group including 2022 World Cup finalist Croatia.
The side’s more recent form has been mixed: since beating Germany 3-2 in Berlin in November, Turkey has not won in five games and was hammered 6-1 by Austria in a friendly in March before holding reigning champion Italy to a draw this month.
READ MORE | Turkey at Euro 2024: Preview, full squad, match schedule, live streaming info, team guide
Turkey’s ambitions of progressing from a group also containing Euro 2016 winners Portugal and Czech Republic rest in large part on captain and midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, a key part of Inter Milan’s Serie A-winning side.
Hopes are also high for attacking midfielder Arda Guler after the 19-year-old came back from injury to score five goals in five games at the end of Real Madrid’s victorious La Liga campaign.
Georgia, meanwhile, is playing in its first-ever major tournament and is the clear underdog in Group F. Its slim prospects of qualifying for the last 16 will rest largely on the shoulders of talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
With Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili reportedly a target for several top European clubs and forward Georges Mikautadze impressing on loan at Metz last season, Georgia has talent at both ends of the pitch.
READ MORE | Georgia at Euro 2024: Preview, full squad, match schedule, live streaming info, team guide
But Napoli’s Kvaratskhelia -- dubbed “Kvaradona” in a nod to Diego Maradona, perhaps the greatest compliment Napoli fans can give -- must be at his best if Georgia is to spring a surprise and try to help unite a fractured nation, recently wracked by huge protests against a controversial “foreign agent” law.
“It was the greatest dream of every Georgian to become a part of such an important tournament, and it was the happiest day for all of us when we achieved it,” Kvaratskhelia told UEFA.com. “But we didn’t come here just to attend, we wish to leave our mark on Euro 2024, to write a new page of history.”
With a Portugal side full of talent expected to top Group F, Turkey and Czech Republic, who face each other on June 26, will be the likely contenders for second place.
Turkey, though, must first overcome a Georgia team who may be unburdened by expectation as it aims to become only the fifth side to win the title on its debut in a European Championship.
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