Turkey vs Georgia wasn't dressed up to be the glamour tie of Euro 2024 but this evening's clash between the two nations has instantly become one of the most memorable football matches of the year thanks to a combination of factors.
Off the pitch, both sets of fans behaved themselves before kick-off on what was a day of heavy rain in Dortmund. Upon entering Signal Iduna Park, however, chaos ensued in the stands as a leaking roof at the stadium caused part of the Georgian section to be flooded.
Rain is pouring from the roof of Signal Iduna Park in all four corners onto the fans located below#Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/f1UTX2fsJI
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 18, 2024
In scenes similar to those at Old Trafford last month during Man Utd vs Arsenal, water was seen streaming through the stands which left Georgia fans facing the choice between getting soaked and watching the match or staying in the concourse and missing the game.
In the end, they chose neither and instead, decided to start fighting with nearby Turkey fans in ugly scenes before kick-off. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured but police were forced to intervene and they stayed inside the stadium for the remainder of the match.
There were fears that the violence could spill over and cause either a postponement to the match or a full cancellation but to their credit, the German police resolved the situation swiftly to allow the match to take place as planned.
Wow it’s all kicking off between Turkey and Georgia fans… 😳😨pic.twitter.com/n7dgfWkJGY
— The Away Fans (@theawayfans) June 18, 2024
Football fans rave about Turkey vs Georgia
Once the match started, it didn't take long for everyone to forget about the leaking roof and the fighting in the stands due to the quality of football on the pitch.
Several games at Euro 2024 have been somewhat of a throwback to a time when football was less tactically and frankly, more fun, but this one topped the lot.
Both sides threw the kitchen sink at each other for 90 minutes and appropriately, the match was settled by a stunning strike from outside the box (the 10th of the tournament already) by Real Madrid's Arda Guler.
Taking to social media, many football fans were all saying the same thing. One posted: “Turkey v Georgia… I am on my feet and applauding. This has been fantastic. A game played at Quarter Final pace and quality, tucked into the group stages.”
Another said: “Turkey–Georgia, proper game of football: kamikaze tactics, no inverted positions, UFC-looking players, incredible atmosphere. Heritage.”
A third, who was lucky enough to be at the match, added: “Genuinely never heard a stadium as loud as that. For 90 minutes those fans just went to war for their team, screaming, whistling and kicking every single ball. My ears are still ringing now, what a crazy match!”