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DORTMUND, Germany — Georgia makes its debut at a major soccer tournament when the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people plays Turkey in Group F at the European Championship. The other teams in the group are Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Kickoff is at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) in Dortmund.



Here's what to know about the match: Match facts — Georgia is the only debutant at Euro 2024, though it still has a pedigree at the tournament. Three Georgian players were in the Soviet Union team that won the inaugural title in 1960. — The country has celebrated the national team being on the big stage for the first time by releasing commemorative stamps and putting special coins in circulation for the occasion.

— Expect to see Georgia relying heavily on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the undoubted superstar of the team after his exploits for Napoli over the last two seasons — including winning the MVP in its Serie A title-winning season of 2022-23. — Turkey was many pundits' highly fancied outsiders at the last Euros but flopped, losing all three of its group games and scoring just one goal. The national team has gone more under the radar this time, despite topping a qualifying group containing Croatia.

— Former Italy striker Vincenzo Montella is Turkey's coach, somewhat by accident. He ended up in the job in September 2023 having been working in Turkish club soccer as coach of Adana Demirspor for the previous two years. Players warm up during a training session of Georg.

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