Will Georgia manage a second win against Turkey?
On Thursday, these two teams will finally kick off their World Cup qualifying campaign. Georgia and Turkey are in Group E and will have anything but an easy time qualifying directly. That’s because Spain is also in the group.
Only the top-ranked team will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. Even though neither team is among the World Cup favorites, they naturally want to secure their ticket. Any team that starts the qualifiers with a defeat will have little chance of winning the group.
These national teams have only faced each other six times, but the last match was last year at the European Championship in Germany. Turkey won 3-1, but Georgia still made it to the round of 16.
It was the first time ever that Georgia had participated in a major tournament of this kind. A lot has happened since Willy Sagnol became Georgia’s coach. Now they want to cause an upset in the upcoming World Cup. However, even with home advantage, there is no getting around the betting odds, which favor Turkey against Georgia.
Turkey won the game at the European Championship, but on Thursday the action will take place in Tbilisi. Although home advantage does not make the hosts favorites, they will still make life very difficult for their guests. A bet on 1/X – i.e., a home win or a draw – can take this circumstance into account.
Goals are definitely possible in this game, as last year’s matchup showed. Although neither side has the strongest offense, there are always gaps to be found in the defense. Therefore, you can also bet on over 2.5 goals and goals on both sides.
Georgia – Turkey Head-to-head record
The first match between these two teams took place in 2002. To date, they have played each other six times, with Georgia winning only one of those games – but that was a home game at the Boris Paichadze Erovnuli Stadium, where Thursday’s match will also be played.
At last year’s European Championship, the two teams met in Dortmund, with Turkey winning 3-1. It was a deserved victory, but Georgia had many chances in that game and showed that they have a new self-confidence under coach Sagnol.
Georgia – Turkey Tip
Understandably, Turkey is favored to win this game. The squad is much stronger and, accordingly, stronger on paper. Players such as Hakan Çalhanoğlu from Inter Milan, Arda Güler from Real Madrid, and Kenan Yıldız from Juventus bring a wealth of international experience to the table.
Nevertheless, there are good reasons to expect at least a draw or even a home win. Georgia’s squad also includes strong players such as Giorgi Mamardashvili from Liverpool, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Paris, and Georges Mikautadze from Villarreal FC, who can make the difference. Therefore, you can also bet on 1/X for Georgia vs. Turkey, which can of course be done via a betting app.
Georgia is still undefeated this year, although their opponents, the Faroe Islands, Cape Verde, and Armenia, were not particularly strong. Nevertheless, the team has always shown a good attitude and enthusiasm for the game, which has been evident for several years now. Turkey lost their last game against Mexico in June.
There are generally interesting odds for goals in the Georgia vs. Turkey match, so it can be assumed that both teams will score and that there will be more than 2.5 goals. In both teams’ playoff games in March, there were more than 2.5 goals.
