The national teams of Georgia and Turkey will meet in the first round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The match is scheduled for Thursday, September 4, starting at 18:00 CET. Here’s an overview of the matchup.
Georgia vs Turkey: Match Overview
Georgia has made significant strides in recent years, improving their performance consistently. They qualified for Euro 2024, marking their first appearance in a major tournament. In the Euros, Georgia lost their opening match to Turkey 1-3, drew 1-1 with Czechia, and finished the group stage by beating Portugal 2-0. This result allowed them to reach the playoffs, where they were defeated by Spain, the eventual champions, with a score of 1-4.
In the Nations League, Georgia narrowly avoided relegation from League B by achieving an impressive 9-1 aggregate win over Armenia in the playoffs. Now, they are starting their World Cup qualifying journey with the aim of reaching the finals, but they face tough competition from Turkey, Bulgaria, and Spain.
Turkey has its own challenges in the road to the 2026 World Cup. Although their group is tough, they have shown strong performances recently. At Euro 2024, Turkey won against Georgia 3-1, then lost to Portugal 0-3, before defeating Czechia 2-1 to advance to the Round of 16. In the playoffs, they beat Austria 2-1 in the first round but were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals after taking the lead and conceding twice in quick succession.
In the UEFA Nations League, Turkey played in League A, where they successfully fought to avoid relegation, beating Hungary 6-1 on aggregate in the playoffs to maintain their top level status.
Match Facts and Head-to-Head Statistics
- Georgia is unbeaten in their last four matches, with three wins and one draw.
- Georgia has scored in six consecutive games.
- Turkey has lost only one of their last four matches, winning three.
- In their last encounter, Turkey won against Georgia 3-1.
- In total, the teams have met six times: Turkey has four wins, and Georgia has one.
Probable Lineups
- Georgia: Mamardashvili; Azarov, Kashia, Goglichidze, Lochoshvili; Kocharashvili, Mekvabishvili; Lominadze, Kiteishvili, Kvaratskhelia; Mikautadze.
- Turkey: Cakir; Muldur, Akaydin, Bardakci, Yilmaz; Yuksek, Calhanoglu, Aydin, Guler, Yildiz; Akturkoglu.
Prediction
Both teams are strong and eager to start with a win, especially as points against Spain may be difficult to secure. Georgia and Turkey will likely both aim for victory. My suggestion is to back both teams to score, with odds of 1.65 for this outcome.
Add Footem.in As your Preferred Source on Google
Follow the latest on Footem WhatsApp Channel