The opening round of the European Championship was a thrilling affair with world No.40 Turkey beating first-time Georgia 3-1 in their opening match, while world No.6 Portugal came back from a late 2-1 win over the Czech Republic. This article will review the background and process of these two matches in detail, and analyze the performance and standings of both teams.
Turkey vs Georgia
First Half: From the start of the game, Turkey showed strong possession and attacking desire. In the 25th minute, Turkey took advantage of a wonderful team combination, Mirdil volleyed directly from outside the penalty line, and the ball went into the net to open the net for Turkey. Despite taking the lead, Turkey has not let its guard down. However, Georgia quickly adjusted their tactics, and in the 32nd minute, Kvaratskhelia cut inside on the left and passed the ball to the right, Kocholashvili crossed for the unguarded Mikautadze to push home from inside the box, and Georgia levelled the score to 1-1, their first goal of the European Championships, which was significant.
Second Half: The second half continued, with Turkey's attack still sharp. In the 65th minute, Güller received the ball at the edge of the penalty area and took a decisive kick, and a beautiful curling ball went straight to the corner, and Turkey took the lead again. The goal not only helped Turkey take the lead, but also made Güller one of the youngest debutants in the history of the tournament. As the game entered the closing stages, Georgia tried to salvage the situation with an attack, but in stoppage time, Turkey seized the opportunity and Aktur Kruger made a long run and fired into the empty net to make it 3-1. In the end, Turkey got off to a good start and laid a solid foundation for qualifying from the group.
After the competition, the discussion on the Internet continued to rise. Turkish fans have taken to social media to express their support and love for the team. One Turkish fan tweeted: "Güller is simply amazing, his goal is so spectacular, he can score at the European Championship at the age of 19, the future is promising!" Another netizen said: "Aktur Kruger's counterattack is so powerful, this game is really exciting." ”
Georgian fans, despite being somewhat disappointed with the result, spoke highly of the team's performance. Some netizens left a message: "This is our first goal in the European Cup, it is of great significance, Mikautadze and Kvaratskhelia have performed very well, we still have a chance in the future!" Another commented: "Despite the loss, we see hope that Georgia can stand on the stage of the European Championship, which is already a big improvement." ”
At the football forum, there was a lively discussion among the fans. "Turkey's attack is really sharp, but their defense also needs to be improved, and there may be problems against strong teams," one person analyzed. Another fan added: "Georgia lost but they showed tenacity, especially when they were very threatening on the counter-attack. ”
Portugal vs Czech Republic
First half: Portugal showed their attacking prowess after the game began, with Rafael Leao and Cristiano Ronaldo threatening in the opposition penalty area on several occasions but never being able to break down the Czech defence. The Czechs defended solidly, with goalkeeper Starniek making a number of crucial saves as the two sides exchanged a goalless draw in the first half to make it 0-0 at half-time.
Second half: Portugal continued to attack, but the Czechs seized the opportunity in the 62nd minute, Coufal returned a pass from the right, Provod shot from outside the box, and the ball flew straight into the net on the right side of the goal, and the Czechs unexpectedly took the lead. It was a goal that made the situation even more tense on the pitch. Portugal quickly launched a counter-attack, and in the 69th minute, Ruben Diaz's cross was cleared, Mendes nodded the ball to the cross, and the Czech penalty area was chaotic, and the goalkeeper saved the ball on Heranak's leg and bounced into the net, and Portugal was lucky to equalize. Towards the end of the game, Portugal made continuous substitutions, in the 92nd minute, the new Neto crossed from the right, the Czech defender made a mistake in clearing, and Conceição calmly scored in the penalty area, Portugal completed the reversal at the last moment and narrowly defeated the Czech Republic 2-1.
After the first round of matches, Turkey won 3-1 to top the group with three points, while Portugal came back to win 2-1 to move the Czech Republic into second place. Despite their best efforts, the Czech Republic and Georgia failed to score points, finishing third and fourth respectively.
Netizens have a variety of discussions and opinions on this game, and they express their own opinions. On a football forum, a netizen who is a "football maniac" posted indignantly: "Georgia is really unlucky, hitting the post twice and the crossbar once, it's really distressing!" Losing two goals is actually losing three, which is not a big win at all! He expressed his displeasure with the luck of the Georgian team, believing that bad luck led to the loss of the game.
Immediately, a netizen claiming to be a Turkish fan left a message: "Speaking of luck, we have encountered similar situations in the European Championship, and sometimes luck is also a part of the game that cannot be ignored. But the key is whether the team can seize the opportunity to win the game. He takes an objective view of the luck factor and believes that the team needs more quality and performance to cope with all kinds of situations.
An enthusiastic football analyst also gave his opinion in the post: "Georgia did show excellent defensive quality in this game, and although they lost in the end, their unity and courage should not be underestimated. This kind of performance is quite good for a new country in the European Championship. He praised Georgia's performance, emphasizing their progress and display of quality on the field.
There are also some fans who are skeptical about the results of the Argentine team. A stand-watching commented on social media: "The Copa America and the World Cup were all won by Di Maria who led Argentina on his own, and I really rely on him!" During the World Cup, he was robbed of the credit by the dwarf Yo Xi, and there were 7 penalties in 7 games, and two were canceled later! Such an achievement is a bit questionable. ”
This round of the European Championship has shown fans the strength and potential of each team. Victories for Turkey and Portugal gave them a head start in the group stage, while Georgia and the Czech Republic failed to win, but their performances were promising. In the future competitions, the teams will continue to fight for promotion, and the exciting events are worth looking forward to.