Turkey has lastly arrived there: for the primary time in its historical past, it received its first match in a serious assembly by overcoming Georgia with out complexes (3-1) on Tuesday in Dortmund.
The downpours which fell on the Westfalenstadion, an hour earlier than kick-off, didn’t dampen the keenness of the 55,000 excited Turkish supporters.
It got here shut – a crossbar, an opponent’s header or perhaps a mistake in entrance of aim – for Georgia to attain it, on the finish of a match of loopy depth.
Turkey, which is enjoying its eighth ultimate section in Germany, Euro and World Cup mixed, dominated, however trembled till the tip.
She logically opened the scoring within the twenty fifth minute because of Mert Müldür who volleyed Ferdi Kadioglu’s cross, poorly cleared by the Georgian protection.
Vincenzo Montella’s males thought they might double the lead two minutes in a while a counter-attack from Kenan Yildiz, however the Juve striker was offside by a couple of centimeters.
Georgia, on the verge of a knockout, reacted brilliantly and equalized within the thirty second minute because of Georges Mikautadze.
By sliding the ball by way of a mouse gap, the striker, returned to Metz following a failed first a part of the season at Ajax, turned the primary scorer in Georgia’s historical past in a serious occasion.
“We’d have deserved a draw”
He may have given his group the lead three minutes later, however alone within the space, he narrowly missed the goal.
Below renewed rain, Turkey took over the lead following the break, however its captain Hakan Çalhanoglu got here up towards the Georgian goalkeeper on a free kick (56th).
Salvation got here from a feat by 19-year-old prodigy Arda Güler, whose curling 25m shot discovered its approach into the Georgian proper nook.
Extra was wanted to discourage the choice led by former French worldwide Willy Sagnol. Giorgi Kochorashvili hit the crossbar within the seventieth minute and Mikautadze missed a golden alternative in added time.
Whereas they tried all the things by bringing their goalkeeper up on a nook, the Georgians had been crucified by Kerem Aktürkoglu (90+7) to make their defeat far too extreme.
“We had a variety of scoring possibilities, as many as Turkey. I believe we’d have deserved to attract. We’re not ‘pleased losers’, however we might be proud,” Sagnol analyzed.
