Turkey v Georgia: Euro 2024 – live

OH MY DAYS WHAT A GOAL! Turkey 2-1 Georgia (Guler 65)

65 min Turkey are finding it harder to find the spaces this half – partly because Georgia have spooked them a little and partly because they’re just not playing as well BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I INTERRUPT MYSELF!

64 min It’s absolutely hurling it down, by the way.

62 min Kvaratskhelia picks up possession in space, finds Tsitaishvili outside him, and when the cut-back comes, he slides at it … but can’t impart a strong enough touch to trouble the keeper, the ball skewing square not straight.

62 min Something I wonder: both these teams look properly fit, and I wonder if those with players contesting titles in the toughest leagues and involved in the Champions League knockouts have already peaked. England, for example, looked leggy; N’Golo Kanté, for example, did not.

60 min “Association football fan from the US with my two cents, says Russell Eberts. “I think the expanded format is a wonderful opportunity to watch teams and players who usually aren’t anywhere near our football radar. Particularly in these trying times, it’s a wonderful reminder of the diversity of European countries and cultures.

Re: Fox coverage. I absolutely refuse to watch Fox coverage, particularly when it involves former USMNT players. Somehow they all sound exactly the same, and none of them have anything interesting to say (besides Tim Howard, but he’s over on Peacock for the Premier League). I usually try to find a Spanish telecast, even though my understanding of the language is very limited. Listening to American announcers on Fox makes my ears bleed.”

60 min Another Turkey break peters out, Kakabadze responding well after being caught to catch up with Guler and block him off.

58 min Georgia counter, Chakvejadze marching through centrefield and finding Mikautadze to his left. There are three defenders between him and goal so, in the circumstances, the corner he wins is the best he could’ve done; it comes to nowt.

57 mim And he lamps a flat shot that barely deviates, Mamardashvili – who’s looked solid – pranging clear.

55 min The game now looks more like it did prior to the disallowed goal, Turkey dominating the ball and looking dangerous. As I type, Guler takes possession just outside the box, ducking inside Dvali before Kochorashvili eases him to the ground; no penalty, though it’s tighter than our commentators think, and the ref brings play back for a foul on the edge. Calhanoglu will fancy this alright, 22 yards out, just left of centre.

53 min “Early shout for the most enjoyable game of the competition so far,” says Charles Anraki, “certainly in the most- like-a-basketball-game section, also the players-really-seem-to-care-about-it prize. The crowd also running away with the cacophony award. And wasn’t this supposed to be a duff game between mediocrities?”

I don’t know about that – Turkey are more the chin-stroker’s dark horse – but yup, a beauty of tournaments, all sports, is the surprise early-stage jazzers.

51 min Nice from Georgia, sweeping the ball from right to left and finding Kvaratskhelia, who checks then goes back and outside Kadioglu, crossing, and the ball drops for Mikautadze! He swivels into a shot, catching it well enough … but Ayhan and Akaydin hurl their bodies in the road to block. Great defending.

49 min Georgia maraud down the right and Kcaratskheiklia is free in the middle. But the lofted ball in misses him out and finds Tsitaishvili, who chops inside and out then shoots wide.

48 min “Re Scott Carson, let it not be forgotten that he’s also got two CL medals at home, quite the career!”

47 min Yilmaz pops up on the right – I think he might’ve moved there – and when he crosses low, Yildiz is there! But rather than sweep right-footed, with the direction of the ball, he probs left-footed and the shot goes wide. That was a great chance.

46 min After a short delay, we go again. Georgia want more of the same, Turkey to get back to where they were.

“Delighted to confirm the Turkish on Blackstock Road called Yildiz is still going strong,” says Alex Fleetwood, “and is still absolutely sensational. Grilled onion salad is worth the pilgrimage on its own.”

Lovely stuff.

Half-time email: “When I lived just off Blackstock Road near Arsenal Tube about 15yrs ago,” says Ben Roberts, “the local Turkish BBQ spot was called Yildiz, and it was phenomenal. I’ve lived in Spain for the last 11 years, but my mouth is watering thinking about that place! Can anyone confirm if it is still going strong?”

I mean you’re so near Green Lanes there, from a consumer point of view it barely matters. What I do think about Turkish barbecue is that it’s hard to get wrong: meat + fire = joy.

HALF-TIME: Turkey 1-1 Georgia

45 min We’ll have one added minute – I’m not sure how, given we’ve had two properly-celebrated goals, but what can you do.

45 min This has been one of the best halves of the tournament so far. As I intimated earlier, though, i don’t think we can expect the same level of freedom in the knockouts; think Brazil 14 when the groups were great but the rest was m’eh.

43 min Kvaratskheilia gets space down the left and runs at Kadioglu, looking to find his right foot, but the defender watches the ball well and crunches in when the time’s right – though he was shown plenty of it.

42 min “Copa América starts end of this week for Europeans jonesing for late night football, writes Gene Salorio. “6pm kickoff in USA means 11pm in Spain, so perfect for watching during dinner.”

In Spain? I think you mean breakfast.

41 min …and this time, Kochorashvili heads clear.

40 min Turkey win a free-kick well right of centre, 25 yards out, so of course Calhanoglu will shoot … directly into the wall. But Turkey soon win him another chance, way out on the left…

38 min “On the issue of the amount of teams, says Martin Wright, “that there are too many is usually a criticism one only hears from fans in ‘big countries’ whose teams are generally assured of qualifying anyway. For those in less successful countries (i.e. nearly all of Europe), the expanded opportunity to play at a tournament is welcomed, and all the benefits that flow from that. There’s more at stake than just the TV viewing pleasure of major nation fans.”

I sort of agree. The reason the richer countries know they’ll qualify is that the tournament is so big it’s impossible for them not to. But I agree it’s great for those now able to make it, and though it is mad to play 36 games to bin eight teams, we get the viewing pleasure you mention, Georgians, say, get to watch their team, and the money gets shared out a bit more than otherwise.

37 min Here come Georgia again, Kakabadze finding Kvaratskhelia, who weaves across the face of the box but can’t quite find a shooting lane.

34 min Oh man, Georgia are into this now, Chakvetadze flipping over the top from just outside the box for Kochorashvili to head back across … and here’s Mikautadze in the middle, falling left and sending his volley in the same direction … but just wide of the far post! This is a game!

33 min Test for Turkey now.

GOAL! Turkey 1-1 Georgia (Mikautadze 32)

NO GOAL! Turkey 1-0 Georgia

27 min But was Yildiz offside? I don’t think the ball gets to him if Kokcu leaves it, so we can’t blame him, but I do think he’s ahead of it.

GOAL! Turkey 2-0 Georgia (Yildiz 27)

WHAT A GOAL! Turkey 1-0 Georgia (Muldur 25)

24 min “Like Justin Madson,” says Joe Pearson, “I am also disgusted with Fox Sports. It’s like the food is bad and the portions are small. But I can suggest an audio alternative. Talkpport (and 2) are available here in the USA, either via the internet or their app. Generally, if a game is not broadcast here, we can follow the coverage there.”

I bet Jamie O’Hara has some insights on Georgia’s OOP structure.

23 min Like the long winter evenings in the Ploppy household, the first half of this first half has just flown by.

21 min A ball in to Calhanoglu and his touch is poor but actually works out nicely, allowing him to spin and shoot … wide.

20 min What I’m enjoying is that even the teams sitting back – Romania, Slovakia and now Georgia – are, when they’ve the ball, looking to make stuff happen. in fact might it be only England who’ve deliberately stodged their way to victory?

18 min “Can we all admit that while we’re addicts and want more matches,” begins Zach Neeley, “24 teams is too many and things would be more fun back at 16? So far the group matches have felt more like the last few qualifiers than the real tournament.”

It is too many, I agree, and I was actually about to wonder if the attacking conviction with which most teams have played will dissipate by the knockouts. But I’m still enjoying it, so.

16 min Turkey play with tremendous tempo – they move it from side to side as I type, every pass is purposeful. I hope Roberto De Zerbi is watching – and Fabian Hürzeler for that matter.

14 min Back come Turkey, a short throw going to Ayhan, who finds Yildiz, and his shot from a narrow angle is parried clear by Mamardashvili.

11 min Georgia, though, aren’t sitting back, and they work a shooting opportunity for Mekvabishvili, his effort from thee edge flicking off Kadioglu … and forcing Gunok to shovel away! That was good from the keeper because he’d already and understandably moved away from the ball by the time he had to field it.

10 min This is a terrific start from Turkey and after Ayhan holds up well, he moves forward in time to be teed-up by Yildiz, leathering low, hard … and against the near post! The ball the shoots away from goal and he must’ve thought he’d scored there – he caught his effort gorgeously.