UEFA EURO 2024 Group Stage
18 June, 2024 - Indian Date
BVB Stadion Dortmund
MATCH TIMES
India
09:30 PM
UAE
08:00 PM
Saudi Arabia
07:00 PM
MATCH LIVE INFO
Turkiye possible starting lineup: Gunok; Ayhan, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Ozcan, Calhanoglu; Guler, Yildiz, Akturkoglu; Yilmaz
Austria possible starting lineup: Mamardashvili; Kverkvelia, Kashia, Dvali; Kakabadze, Kiteishvili, Kochorashvili, Shengelia, Chakvetadze; Kvaratskhelia, Mikautadze
Match Preview
Georgia's Challenge
Georgia's qualification record highlights the significant challenge they face in their major tournament debut. They secured only two wins out of eight qualification group matches, both against Cyprus, who lost all their games. Finishing fourth in their group, behind Spain, Scotland, and Norway, Georgia's journey to the tournament came through the Nations League, where they topped a group with Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Gibraltar. They won their play-offs by beating Luxembourg and Greece.
Türkiye's Fluctuating Performance
Türkiye has been inconsistent in international football. Despite reaching the World Cup semi-finals over twenty years ago and repeating this at the 2008 Euros, their recent history is less impressive. They have only qualified twice for the Euros since then, failing to progress past the group stage both times. Their last campaign saw losses to Italy, Wales, and Switzerland. Additionally, they face injury setbacks with key players like Enes Ünal, Çağlar Söyüncü, and Ozan Kabak out of the tournament.
Recent Form and Preparation
In 2023, Georgia's victories have been against lower-ranked teams such as Mongolia, Cyprus, and Thailand. With only one friendly match this year, a narrow win against Montenegro, their preparation seems limited. In contrast, Türkiye's recent form includes a 6-1 defeat to Austria and losses to Poland and Hungary, though they did manage a draw against Italy. They performed well in qualifying, finishing ahead of Croatia and Wales.
Tournament Outlook
Both teams are eager to start strong, recognizing the importance of an early win for advancing in the tournament. Georgia's limited success and preparation contrast with Türkiye's unpredictability, making their opening match an intriguing contest.