Turkey edges Georgia in dramatic Euro 2024 opener after deluge

At 12 PM Eastern Time, the first match of Tuesday's Euro 2024 finals began. Turkey faces Georgia, which is debuting in the European Championship.

Several minutes before the match started, everyone anxiously watched the field, which had turned into a quagmire over the past hour due to the massive rainstorm that swept over Dortmund.

The field and the entire stadium were flooded. All services mobilized to combat the water. The Germans had already warned on Tuesday morning that the country would experience rainstorms. Fans in Dortmund experienced the weather breakdown several hours before the match, even before entering the stadium.

Poland will also play at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. The White-Reds will face France in Borussia Dortmund's home stadium on June 25 at 12 PM Eastern Time.

Turkey, which faced Poland in Warsaw before the start of Euro 2024, lost 1-2. However, it is said that their players have an easy task ahead, since Georgia has no prior experience in such a football tournament. They secured a spot in the championship through March playoffs, where they defeated Greece in a penalty shootout.

However, the newcomers are full of hope. They aim to be the sensation of the tournament.

Every Georgian dreamed of becoming a part of such an important tournament. When we qualified, it was the most wonderful day in each of our lives. But we didn't come here just to participate; we want to make our mark - said Napoli midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the biggest star of this team, to uefa.com.

The debuting Georgian team will include players from two Polish clubs - Otar Kakabadze from Cracovia and Nika Kvekveskiri from Lech Poznań.