Guler Shines with Goal for Turkey in Exciting Victory Over Georgia at Euro 2024
With Kylian Mbappe set to join a host of attacking superstars at Real Madrid, Arda Guler faces a challenging path to break through at one of Europe's top clubs.
The Turkish teenager showcased his potential during his debut in an international tournament on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old Guler bolstered his reputation as one of Europe's promising young talents by scoring a remarkable second-half goal, aiding Turkey in a 3-1 win over Euro debutants Georgia.
Guler concluded his first season at Real Madrid on a high note, cutting in from the right and delivering a powerful shot into the top corner in the 65th minute, regaining the lead for Turkey at 2-1. This goal made him the youngest debut scorer at the Euros, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's record from 2004.
Substitute Kerem Aktürkoğlu sealed Turkey's third goal in the final seconds of stoppage time, ending a thrilling Group F match in Dortmund, which was marred by fan disorder before kickoff and played in an intense atmosphere.
For Georgia, a South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, this was a significant moment as they made their debut in an international tournament since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, amidst ongoing protests and political turmoil at home.
Georgia's players managed well under the pressure created by Turkey's fans and responded to Mert Muldur's 25th-minute volleyed goal with an equalizer by Georges Mikautadze in the 32nd minute.
Guler's decisive goal was another in a series of long-range strikes at these Euros, demonstrating his talent that saw him score five goals in five games to conclude a Spanish league season he largely missed due to injury. He was an unused substitute in the Champions League final that Madrid won.
Whether Guler will find it more difficult to get playing time next season with the arrivals of Mbappé and Brazil forward Endrick remains uncertain. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti appears to recognize Guler's potential, as the teenager received a message from the Italian after the game.
“Ancelotti is motivating me a lot,” Guler said. “Of course I'm happy to have scored my first goal for Turkey — I hope this first match shows us the way forward.”
Ranked No. 75, Georgia is the lowest-ranked nation at Euro 2024 but nearly secured a point from a frenetic match. In stoppage time, with goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili upfield, a free kick hit the post, and a rebound shot was cleared off the line.
The resulting corner, with Mamardashvili still in the box, was cleared, allowing Aktürkoğlu to score unchallenged into an empty net.
The final whistle blew shortly after the restart, and Turkey's players celebrated with their fans. In the last Euros in 2021, Turkey was expected to perform well but lost all three group games. This tournament could see a different outcome, with Italian coach Vincenzo Montella having chosen an exciting, youthful squad, the second-youngest at the tournament.
Guler stood out among his peers, scoring a goal and setting up five chances with his skill and creativity.
Georgia's star player, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, was relatively quiet until the last moments when he contributed to several attacks. Georgia hit the goal frame twice during a late surge, with Giorgi Kochorashvili also hitting the post after a solo run. The final whistle left Georgia's players in despair on the ground.
