Arda Guler scored a sensational goal as Turkiye came out 3-1 victors after a thrilling clash with Georgia at Euro 2024.
The Real Madrid midfielder curled home a stunner from outside the area to put Turkiye 2-1 midway through the second half and become the youngest player to score on his Euros debut, with Kerem Akturkoglu confirming the win after a wave of Georgia pressure.
Ahead of the encounter in Dortmund, fans from both nations were involved in scenes of violence inside the stadium as torrential weather conditions threatened to postpone Georgia's maiden bow at an international tournament.
Turkiye led in the 25th minute, as Mert Muldur, who had scored just once before for his nation, fired home a goal of the tournament contender with a sweet volley into the top corner.
The Turkish supporters packed into Westfalenstadion were in raptures when they thought their side had doubled their advantage two minutes later, only for Kenan Yildiz's effort to be disallowed for offside by VAR.
And a moment of history arrived for Georgia when Georges Mikautadze neatly flicked a finish beyond Mert Gunok at the near post.
Yet Turkiye's lead was restored when Guler picked out the top-left corner, breaking a record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004 in the process.
Georgia went agonisingly close to an equaliser - Giorgi Kochorashvili hitting the crossbar and drilling off target from close range while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck the post and Samet Akaydin made a goal-line block.
But with Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili up for a corner deep in injury time, Turkiye broke and Akturkoglu placed the ball into the empty net to settle a thrilling Group F clash.
Data Debrief: Guler steals the show as Turkiye and Georgia light up Euro 2024
In a match that featured 36 shots and a combined 4.3 xG, Guler's sublime effort saw him become the youngest Turkish player to score a goal in the history of major tournaments at just 19 years 114 days.
Turkiye became just the second team ever to start a match at the Euros with two teenagers (Guler and Kenan Yildiz), after Hungary did so in 1964.
Mikautadze scored Georgia's first ever goal at a major tournament, meanwhile. He has now netted six goals in his last six starts for his country.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has claimed all the pressure is on Hungary, and not his team, ahead of Wednesday's Group A clash.
Euro 2024 hosts Germany got off to a flying start as they thrashed Scotland 5-1 in Munich last week.
Hungary, meanwhile, were beaten 3-1 by Switzerland.
While the four best third-placed teams will progress to the last 16, Nagelsmann believes the onus will firmly be on Hungary, rather than the host nation, in Stuttgart.
"I had put Scotland and Hungary on a very similar level," Nagelsmann told reporters.
"It depends how we play tomorrow. Hungary are under a bit more pressure than we are after the first match.
"I think they have to be a bit more aggressive than against Switzerland as they could potentially be out of the tournament."
Nagelsmann is not taking anything for granted, though.
"We have analysed the Hungarians and have a clear idea how we will play," Nagelsmann added. "It is about winning the game tomorrow.
"We saw their first match against Swiss where it was a game of two halves. Hungary deserved more than they got in the end.
"In the qualifiers, Hungary were the second-best team when it came to creating or converting chances from set pieces.
"They play a good transition game. They have strikers who are powerful in the air. They play with precise crosses. They are very dangerous."
Hungary are without a win in their last seven games at the European Championships (D4 L3) since beating Austria 2-0 in the 2016 group stage.
However, Germany have won only one of their last six matches played on home soil against Hungary (D2 L3), a 2-0 friendly victory in June 2016.
Indeed, Germany and Hungary's three previous meetings at a major tournament have produced 20 goals, an average of 6.7 per game. Hungary opened the scoring in each of those three matches.
They met in the group stage at Euro 2020 – the match ended 2-2, with Hungary ultimately heading out while Germany progressed to the last 16, only to lose to England.
And Hungary coach Marco Rossi stated his team must be perfect if they are to pull off a win.
"We've paid for these mistakes in the first game and tomorrow we are playing Germany which, in my opinion, is the toughest rival, toughest team to play now, but we will do our best," Rossi said.
"We know on paper the German team is better than us. This should further motivate us, allowing us to give our very best show.
"Hopefully we can grasp a point tomorrow and that will allow us, I hope, to qualify for the next round. But this will call for the perfect match, all those playing must give 100 per cent."
Naomi Osaka bowed out of the Berlin Open after falling short in a three-set thriller against an inspired serving display from Zheng Qinwen.
The former world number one battled, but ultimately came up short for the second time in two weeks, enduring a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 defeat.
The Japanese found herself a set down following a break point claimed in the fifth game by her opponent but rallied in the second to take the encounter to a deciding set.
However, Qinwen, who served 10 aces in the final set, proved too powerful for Osaka to secure a second victory over Osaka after two hours and 10 minutes at the Steffi Graf Stadium.
Qinwen will play Katerina Siniakova in the last 16 of June 19, with either Jessica Pegula or Donna Vekic awaiting should she progress.
Data Debrief:
The victory for Zheng saw her serve 23 aces against Osaka, the highest tally in a single WTA match since Rebecca Marino vs Caroline Garcia in Guadalajara in 2022 (24).
Her success with her serving saw Zheng win 88 per cent of her first serve points, winning 44 of 50 during the match.
Naomi Osaka bowed out of the Berlin Open after falling short in a three-set thriller against an inspired serving display from Zheng Qinwen.
The former world number one battled, but ultimately came up short for the second time in two weeks, enduring a 6-4 3-6 6-3 defeat.
The Japanese found herself a set down following a break point claimed in the fifth game by her opponent but rallied in the second to take the encounter to a deciding set.
However, Zheng, who served 10 aces in the final set, proved too powerful for Osaka to secure a second victory over the Japanese after two hours and 10 minutes at the Steffi Graf Stadium.
Zheng will play Katerina Siniakova in the last 16 on Wednesday, with either Jessica Pegula or Donna Vekic awaiting should she progress.
Data Debrief: Acing it
The victory for Zheng saw her serve 23 aces against Osaka, the highest tally in a single WTA match since Rebecca Marino vs Caroline Garcia in Guadalajara in 2022 (24).
Her success with her serving saw Zheng win 88 per cent of her first serve points, winning 44 of 50 during the match.
Spain and reigning European champions Italy both won their opening matches at Euro 2024, and will now face off in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday.
But both sides endured differing performances in their respective encounters, with La Roja cruising to a 3-0 victory over Croatia to condemn their opponents to joint-heaviest ever defeat at a major international tournament.
However, Luciano Spalletti's pre-match words would still have been ringing in his Italy players' ears when Nedim Bajrami's goal after 23 seconds gave Albania a shock lead - the fastest goal ever scored at the European Championships.
Yet two goals in five minutes from Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella ensured the Italians' quest of becoming the second team to win back-to-back Euros tournaments after Thursday's opponents did in 2008 and 2012.
This will be the 11th encounter between Spain and Italy at a major tournament, across the Euros (eight) and World Cup (three), a record between two European nations.
It’s the fifth consecutive European Championship tournament at which they’ve met going back to 2008, also a record.
Here, we delve into the Opta data to preview Thursday's game.
What's expected?
Despite Italy only losing one of their 10 matches against Spain in the Euros and World Cup (W4 D5) - that sole defeat came in the final at Euro 2012 - La Roja are given a 45.8 per cent chance of making it two wins from two at Euro 2024.
However, Spain has had the better of their previous meetings with Italy, winning their last two encounters, both in the Nations League, but have never won three consecutive matches against the Azzurri.
La Roja has also prevailed in all three of their previous European Championship meetings with the reigning champions of the competition, reaching the final in each edition.
The Spanish will take confidence from their opening display against Croatia, having outperformed their expected goals (xG) by 0.99 per cent, but will be hopeful of converting more of their big chances, having missed four in Berlin.
Italy was also able to outscore their xG, but by a smaller margin of 0.44, but managed just five shots on target against Albania from the 17 they attempted.
As in many major tournaments, being clinical could prove decisive, and this group in particular, could be the difference between staying in Germany or packing your bags for the next flight home.
Calafiori and Bastoni taking the mantle from Chiellini and Bonucci
Their comeback success against Albania saw them win their opening encounter in four consecutive European Championships and the World Cup for the first time in their history, and they will look to build on that against the Spanish.
The Italians have often relied on the experience and know-how of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci to lay a solid foundation for success but entered Euro 2024 with the sixth-youngest squad (26.5).
Much was said of Spalletti's squad selection heading into the tournament, with many believing they would be proved right when they were pegged back early on against Albania.
But the exuberance of youth shone through, particularly in Riccardo Calafiori, who starred in Bologna's qualification for the Champions League in the 2023-24 season, and then shined on the international stage in his third appearance for his nation.
2 - Riccardo #Calafiori (22 years and 27 days) is the second youngest Italy’s defender to play a match in European Championships history, after Paolo Maldini (19 years and 350 days, on 10th June 1988 against Germany). Impulse. #EURo2024 #ITAALB #ItaliaAlbania pic.twitter.com/2kKWNHW1iS
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 15, 2024
The 22-year-old had the joint-most interceptions (three), most duels won (six), and won all three of his aerial duels against a physical Albania side on his international tournament debut.
Partnering with Bastoni, who scored the Italian's equaliser against Albania, Spalletti may have found a new partnership that sticks with the defensive values that were pivotal to their success in recent years.
No more Tiik-taka?
La Roja, over the years, have been renowned for their possession play during their international successes, but their triumph over Croatia saw them find a different way to win.
Spain had less possession than their opponents (47 per cent) for the first time in a competitive match since the Euro 2008 final against Germany (46 per cent), ending a run of 136 games in which they had more of the ball.
With a midfield trio of Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, and Pedri, Luis de la Fuente has a composed blend of experience and youth, with the discipline and composure instilled within them at club level to ensure they are not passing for passing sake.
All three averaged a pass completion above 87 per cent, with Rodri (87.7 per cent) the least efficient in that regard. But accompanying their talented midfield is an exciting front line who were at their clinical best against Croatia.
The emergence of Lamine Yamal, who became the youngest player to feature for La Roja at the Euros, had the most touches in the opposition box (six), created the joint-most chances (three), and grabbed an assist for Dani Carvajal's first international goal.
Alvaro Morata, who is captaining his side for the first time at a major tournament, became Spain's outright second-highest goalscorer at major international tournaments, behind only David Villa (13).
Indeed, in European Championship history, only Cristiano Ronaldo and Michel Platini have netted more goals than Morata (seven).
Spain will continue to boast the majority of possession in most of their upcoming fixtures, but under De la Fuente, they have found a new way of playing.
7 - Only Cesc Fàbregas (8 - 3 goals, 5 assists) has been involved in more #EUROs goals for #Spain than Álvaro Morata (7 - 7 goals, the same as Fernando Torres and David Silva). Reference. #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/dfGTdjuai3
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) June 15, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Italy - Nicolo Barella
Over the years, the Italy midfield has been filled with a plethora of talent that has won international honours. Nicolo Barella will be regarded as one of those should he help the Azzurri clinch their second straight Euros crown.
Barella has been directly involved in five goals in his last seven appearances for Italy (two goals, three assists), with his strike against Albania seeing him score in successive international appearances for the first time since June 2019.
The Inter midfielder's combination of tenacity and composure was on show once more, completing 105 of his 108 passes in the Azzurri's opening game of the tournament, the highest pass completion rate (97.2 percent) of those who featured in the starting line-up.
10 - Among the players currently in the Italian national team Nicolò #Barella has scored the most goals for the Azzurri (10). Star. #EURo2024 #ITAALB pic.twitter.com/B2RIhHFw2H
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 15, 2024
The saying of the battle being won in midfield is often thrown around rather lazily in modern football, but this certainly could be the case in Gelsenkirchen.
Spain - Fabian Ruiz
Attempting to halt the Italian midfield will be Ruiz, who marked his 24th appearance for his country with just his third international goal against Croatia.
The 28-year-old was directly involved in two of Spain’s three goals in their opening game, assisting Alvaro Morata and scoring La Roja's second.
Since making his national team debut in June 2019, only Jordi Alba (nine) has made more assists for Spain than the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder (eight).
But Ruiz's defensive discipline also aided Spain in keeping a clean sheet against Croatia, with the former Napoli star winning four of his five duels during the contest in Berlin, while also having a pass accuracy of 90.7 per cent from 54 attempted passes.
Kobbie Mainoo is pleased to have “peace of mind” over the future of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman looked set to be sacked following a disappointing season, only to lead United to FA Cup success against Manchester City last month.
Mainoo, who is away with England at Euro 2024, scored the decisive goal in the 2-1 win at Wembley to cap off an impressive debut year for the 19-year-old.
Following United's 13th FA Cup success, a post-season review ultimately led to Ten Hag being told he would remain in charge at Old Trafford under the new ownership.
Mainoo is preparing for the Three Lions' second group game against Denmark on Thursday, having made his international tournament debut against Serbia as a late substitute.
When asked for his verdict on United’s decision to keep ten Hag, Mainoo was thankful for his head coach after his maiden season with the first team.
'I am so GRATEFUL for Erik ten Hag, I can't thank him enough!' Kobbie Mainoo#manutd #mufc #eriktenhag
Full press conference on the BeanymanSports YouTube channel https://t.co/XK0O6uf59H pic.twitter.com/QIZ5eq5xbI
— BeanymanSports (@BeanymanSports) June 18, 2024
"Obviously, (I am) happy to be building with him," Mainoo said. "He’s already got two trophies, hopefully there’s more to come.
"It’s nice to have that peace of mind that we know what manager we’re going back to in the new season.
"I’m so grateful for him that he put so much trust in me and belief in me to play in the team. Yeah, I can’t thank him enough."
Mainoo made 32 appearances across all competitions, scoring five goals, ultimately resulting in his inclusion in the 26-man squad that travelled to Germany, picked ahead of the likes of James Maddison, Jordan Henderson, and Jack Grealish.
French political leader Jordan Bardella criticised Kylian Mbappe for speaking out against the "extremes" in parliamentary elections before their game against Austria at Euro 2024.
Striker Marcus Thuram made his position clear on the party, having urged people to "fight daily" to prevent Bardella's National Rally (RN) from gaining power in France, with a general election set to take place in July.
Mbappe then later used his pre-match press conference to say he supported the same values as Thuram, though he did not call out the RN by name.
"Kylian Mbappe is against extreme views and against ideas that divide people. I want to be proud to represent France, I don't want to represent a country that doesn't correspond to my values or our values," Mbappe said.
He also added that "the extremes are knocking at the doors of power".
Mbappe was immediately criticised for speaking up about the political picture in France, with Bardella left angered by his comments.
"I have a lot of respect for our footballers, whether Marcus Thuram or Kylian Mbappe, who are icons of football and icons for youth," Bardella told CNews TV.
"But we must respect the French, we must respect everyone's vote.
"When you're lucky enough to have a very, very big salary, when you are a multi-millionaire, then I'm a little embarrassed to see these athletes.
"Give lessons to people who can no longer make ends meet, who no longer feel safe, who do not have the chance to live in neighbourhoods overprotected by security agents."
Mbappe, meanwhile, has other concerns, with reports suggesting the superstar will definitely miss France's game against the Netherlands on Friday after he suffered a broken nose in the 1-0 win over Austria.
Carlos Alcaraz began his title defence at the Queen's Club Championships with a straight-sets victory over Francisco Cerundolo on Tuesday.
Playing his first match since winning the French Open earlier this month, Alcaraz recovered from a second-set slump to win 6-1 7-5.
The Spaniard started strongly in his first meeting with Cerundolo and breezed through the first set, committing just one unforced error.
He quickly found himself 2-5 down after a slow start to the second, but in an impressive turnaround, Alcaraz battled back, winning each of the next five games to ensure he would progress after 82 minutes.
He will meet either Jack Draper or Mariano Navone in the next round.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz makes winning return on grass
Alcaraz did not have it all his own way in London, but he ensured that he extended his winning run on grass to 13 matches.
He saved three set points on his way to levelling things at 5-5 in the second set, giving Cerundolo no way back in.
Sri Lanka Women secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match ODI series against West Indies Women with a dominant five-wicket win in the second encounter in Hambantota on Tuesday.
The West Indies, playing without their regular captain Hayley Matthews, were bundled out for a paltry 95 in just 31 overs after being put in to bat by the hosts.
Rashada Williams was the only West Indies batter to provide any meaningful resistance with 24 as Kavisha Dilhari, just as she did in the first match, starred with the ball with 4-20 from six overs.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu took 2-8 from two overs while Achini Kulasuriya took 2-16 from seven overs in support.
Sri Lanka then lost five wickets on their way to 93 in the 22nd over to secure the series victory.
The successful chase was led by a run-a-ball 50 from Vishmi Gunaratne while Dilhari contributed 28.
Karishma Ramharack took 2-29 from 5.2 overs for the West Indies.
Full Scores:
West Indies Women 92 off 31 overs (Rashada Williams 24, Kavisha Dilhari 4-20, Chamari Athapaththu 2-8, Achini Kulasuriya 2-16)
Sri Lanka Women 93-5 off 21.2 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 50, Kavisha Dilhari 28, Karishma Ramharack 2-29)
Jeff Van Gundy will finally make his NBA coaching return next season after reportedly agreeing to become Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue’s top assistant.
The 62-year-old Van Gundy spent this season as a senior consultant for the Boston Celtics, who won their 18th NBA title by beating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 of the Finals on Monday.
Prior to working with the Celtics, Van Gundy was a television analyst for ESPN for 16 years after being the head coach of the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.
Van Gundy took over the Knicks in March 1996 and resigned 19 games into the 2001-02 season, a stretch that saw New York reach the NBA Finals in the lockout shortened 1998-99 campaign.
Houston hired Van Gundy in June 2003 and fired him after a first-round playoff exit in 2007.
Van Gundy owns a career coaching record of 430-318 in the regular season and 44-44 in the playoffs.
The Clippers went 51-31 this season and won the Pacific Division title for the first time since 2013-14, but they were eliminated by the Mavericks in six games in the first round of the playoffs.
Los Angeles signed Lue, who coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA title in 2016, to a five-year, $70million extension last month.
Jannik Sinner came from a set down to ensure his debut as world number one did not end in an upset against Tallon Griekspoor at the Halle Open.
The Italian had to rally after a tough start in his first grass-court match of the season but prevailed 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 6-2.
Despite forcing a tie-break in the first set, Sinner threw away a 4-0 lead during it, unable to hold off Griekspoor's late charge.
Sinner soon found his footing in the second and got a vital break to swing momentum in his favour, holding onto it into the third to take the win in two hours, 22 minutes.
He will face Fabian Marozsan in the next round.
Data Debrief: Sinner comes good on debut
The ATP World No. 1 has won 93.1% of the grass court matches played in the last six years: Novak Djokovic 14-0, Carlos Alcaraz 7-0, Daniil Medvedev 5-2 and Sinner 1-0.
Before getting the vital break, Sinner went on a run of five consecutive points to dig himself out of a whole at 0-40 down on his own serve during the fifth game of the second set, sending him on his way to the win.
Jan Vertonghen believes Belgium will be able to handle the pressure and bounce back from their first Euro 2024 defeat.
Slovakia earned a surprise win over the Red Devils thanks to Ivan Schranz's early goal, and a wasteful Belgium were unable to salvage a point.
Lukaku thought he had twice equalised, though both strikes were ruled out, the first for offside and the second by VAR for a handball in the build-up.
Despite an early setback in the tournament, Vertonghen is confident his side will be able to quickly put it behind them when they face Romania next time out.
"Obviously, the team is very disappointed after yesterday's result," Vertonghen said.
"You always want the first game at a tournament to take the pressure away a bit, but now the pressure is probably even more and that's why we're disappointed. We're not disappointed in the way we played, or the chances we created or the way we defended.
"[To change our style] would be a mistake in my opinion. Obviously, the easy answer is to score goals and avoid conceding any. But yeah, the mindset is key, to attack and then to win and to keep doing what we've been doing for the previous 15 matches.
"I would be more worried if we didn't have the quality, so I'm confident we will score on Saturday."
Belgium missed four Opta-defined big chances in this match, the first time they’d done so in a European Championship game since 1980 against Spain, with three of those falling to Lukaku.
The striker created an xG of 0.82 from his three shots over 90 minutes, cutting a frustrated figure on the pitch.
It is also the first time that Belgium have lost since 27 November 2022 against Morocco in the World Cup, ending a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W10 D5).
Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah will not be defending her 200m title at this year's Games in Paris.
The 31-year-old became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles at Tokyo 2020 when she retained her 100m and 200m titles.
Thompson-Herah will not be able to achieve the feat again, however, after opting to only cover 100m at the upcoming Jamaican trials.
She appeared to sustain an injury while competing in the 100m at the NYC Grand Prix earlier this month.
The Jamaican is the second-fastest woman in history over that distance, though injuries have disrupted her competition schedule in the last year.
The athletics events at the Paris Olympics will take place between August 1-11.
The Premier League fixtures were announced on Tuesday, with the new season now just under two months away.
Holders Manchester City, chasing a fifth consecutive Premier League title, have a tough opener against Chelsea, now managed by Enzo Maresca, at Stamford Bridge on August 18.
City have won their opening fixture in 12 of the last 13 seasons, though the only exception was a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham in 2021-22.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will begin a top-flight season against the reigning champions for the first time in 53 years, losing to Arsenal in their last such fixture in 1971 (3-0).
Manchester United and Fulham will kick off the season at Old Trafford on August 16, with the Red Devils becoming the first Premier League side in history to start eight consecutive seasons on home soil.
Brentford and West Ham are tipped to have the toughest starts, with their opponents' average rating at 89.6 on Opta's team rating scale – both sides face Pep Guardiola's side in their opening five matches.
Arsenal and Ipswich Town sit joint-third behind them, with their first five fixtures averaging at 88.7.
After narrowly missing out to City in the title race in the last two seasons, Arsenal begin their campaign at home to Wolves but face tricky tests against Aston Villa, Tottenham and the Citizens in the following weeks.
Ipswich begin their first Premier League campaign for 22 years against the side they ended their last one against. They will travel to Anfield for Arne Slot's first match in charge of Liverpool, before hosting the reigning champions a week later.
The Reds show as having the easiest opening of the 20 sides, with an average opponent rating of 83.7, with a trip to Old Trafford against rivals United the most notable match in their first five fixtures.
Southampton's return to the top-flight comes at St. James' Park, but among teams to have played in 10 or more Premier League seasons, the Saints have the lowest win ratio (8 per cent), having won just two of their 24 games (D10 L12).
Everton will kick off their final season at Goodison Park at home against Brighton – the Toffees have started the last two campaigns with defeats on home soil against Chelsea and Fulham, and have not lost three in a row since a run of four between 2008-09 and 2011-12.
The opening weekend will be rounded off by Tottenham's trip to the other promoted side, Leicester City, who will be hoping to continue their unbeaten run when starting a league campaign at home (they have won six and drawn three of the previous nine).
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
