Two of Europe’s biggest young stars will face off when Turkey take on tournament debutants Georgia at Euro 2024 this evening.
Turkey were widely tipped as the competition’s dark horses three years ago but finished last in their group after losing all three games.
This time, Vincenzo Montella’s men will fancy their chances of qualifying in Group F against Portugal, Czech Republic and Georgia.
The latter team are coming into Euro 2024 as an unknown quantity having come through the play-offs to qualify for their first major international tournament.
Turkey vs Georgia: Date and how to follow
This Group F showdown will take place on Tuesday, June 18.
Kick-off at Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park will be at 5pm UK time.
talkSPORT 2 will have full coverage of the match, with commentary provided by Adam Bridge and former England defender Alvin Martin.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
The tie will also be shown on free-to-air TV on BBC One.
Turkey vs Georgia: Line-ups confirmed
Turkey: Gunok, Muldur, Akaydin, Bardakci, Kadioglu, Calhanoglu, Ayhan, Guler, Kokcu, Yildiz, Yilmaz
Subs: Celik, Demiral, Yokuslu, Akturkoglu, Tosun, Yazici, Bayindir, Kaplan, Ozcan, Yuksek, Cakir, Kilicsoy, Akgun, Yildirim
Georgia: Mamardashvili, Kvirkvelia, Kashia, Dvali, Kakabadze, Chakvetadze, Kochorashvili, Mekvabishvili, Tsitaishvili, Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia
Subs: Zivzivadze, Davitashvili, Kvilitaia, Gugeshashvili, Gocholeishvili, Lochoshvili, Gvelesiani, Kvekveskiri, Kiteishvili, Altunashvili, Shengelia, Lobjanidze, Tabidze, Sigua
Referee: Facundo Tello Figueroa (Argentina)
Turkey vs Georgia: Players to watch
Arda Guler
Turkey have several senior stars but the most intrigue will surround their Real Madrid prodigy, who is the youngest player to score for ‘Ay-Yildizlilar’.
The 19-year-old would have considered himself unlucky to have been an unused substitute during the Champions League final triumph.
Guler, dubbed ‘the Turkish Messi’, sat on the bench as Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 despite finding his form in recent weeks.
He still made history by becoming the first player from his country to win the Champions League trophy and finished his first season in Spain with a healthy six goals from ten La Liga appearances.
Guler remains a hero for his exploits at Fenerbache and a positive impact at Euro 2024 could set him up to truly breakthrough at the Bernabeu next campaign.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Napoli crowning their winger with a nickname after Diego Maradona gives everyone a sense of who Georgia’s leading light will be.
‘Kvaradona’ has risen to become one of the brightest talents in Europe since he was snapped up for a mere £10million in 2022.
Just a year after joining, the 23-year-old proved influential in helping Napoli claim their first Serie A title since the legendary Maradona.
He has registered another 11 goals and six assists in 34 Italian top-flight games this time around and has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain to replace the outgoing Kylian Mbappe.
However, Kvaratskhelia’s focus will remain on his country after helping Georgia reach their first major international tournament.
Turkey vs Georgia: What has been said?
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) celebrated Guler for reaching a history milestone following Madrid’s 15th Champions League title.
The TFF said: “We are immensely proud of our national team player, Arda Güler, who has made history with Real Madrid’s triumph in the UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley.
“This victory not only brings immense pride to our nation but also sets a new benchmark for Turkish football.”
To lift the trophy:
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News Summary:
- Turkey vs Georgia LIVE commentary: Score, line-ups, players to watch, and Euro 2024 match preview as Ronaldo’s group rivals face-off
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.