Türkiye vs Georgia Group F Matchday 1 preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups

Türkiye and Georgia meet in their first match of UEFA EURO 2024 in Group F on Tuesday 18 June.

Where to watch Türkiye vs Georgia on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA EURO 2024 broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

Of their five past meetings with finals debutants Georgia, Türkiye have won three – an encouraging sign for Vincenzo Montella's side as they look to bounce back from some uninspiring recent form, entering this tournament without a win in five games: D2 L3. However, these teams have not met since 2012, and much has changed since.

Under former Bayern and France full-back Willy Sagnol, Georgia have made it to their first major international tournament, the nation still buzzing from their shoot-out success against Greece in the play-off final. Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is sure to be one to watch for Türkiye's defence, while Inter's free-kick maestro Hakan Çalhanoğlu will aim to curb Georgia's enthusiasm from midfield.

Predicted line-ups

Türkiye: Günok; Ayhan, Demiral, Bardakcı, Kadıoğlu; Özcan, Çalhanoğlu; Güler, Yıldız, Aktürkoğlu; Yılmaz

Georgia: Mamardashvili; Kverkvelia, Kashia, Dvali; Kakabadze, Kvekveskiri, Kochorashvili, Shengelia, Chakvetadze; Kvaratskhelia, Mikautadze
Out: Giorgi Loria (suspended)

Form guide

Türkiye:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LDLLDW

Georgia:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WDWLDW

Expert predictions

Aydin Güvenir, Türkiye reporter

Competing in their sixth EURO, Türkiye are aiming for their first victory in an opening group match. Despite having more experience than their opponents, who are first-time finalists, the Crescent-Stars will compete with a youthful squad in this tournament. Montella's team, led by Inter star Hakan Çalhanoğlu as captain, will be seeking victory with an expected huge support from their fans in Dortmund. Although central defensive injuries are a concern and İrfan Can Kahveçi has been ruled out in midfield, Türkiye will rely on the energy of talented young players like Barış Alper Yılmaz, Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız to be effective in their attacking efforts.

Vakhtang Bzikadze, Georgia reporter

It is a historic first for Georgia, as Willy Sagnol's men prepare to make their EURO debut against Türkiye. Even without İrfan Can Kahveci, Vincenzo Montella's side are a force to be reckoned with, but Georgia have plenty of attacking options if chances come their way. Experienced goalkeeper Giorgi Loria is suspended and with midfielder Otar Kiteishvili still training alone, Sagnol has decisions to make about the heart of his team. The occasion is a big one. Will Georgia rise to it?

What the coaches say

Vincenzo Montella, Türkiye coach: "'We're all here for a dream. We must realise this dream and give all we can. It's an honour to play here in Germany in front of, we hope, many of our fans. It's true, we have never won the first game at the finals, but there is that famous phrase: 'There's a first time for everything.' We have worked hard to prepare, to be well-organised and, obviously, to win. Georgia are a very difficult team to evaluate and they will be extremely motivated. It won't be an easy match, and we will have to stay patient until the end."

Willy Sagnol, Georgia coach: "It's our first match, but it's also Türkiye's first match, and I'm sure they are under more pressure than us. If you talk about the strengths of Türkiye we could be here for a long time, because they have a lot of good players with great technical ability. It's going to be a great challenge for us. After the play-off final, it was a little difficult for some players to return to their daily routines, because it was as if they were living a dream. This dream needs to end at a certain point and we need to focus again."