Georgia vs Turkey prediction
Georgia
Georgia seemingly exhausted its momentum with a commendable performance at the European Championship, as well as in a couple of initial matches in the Nations League.
The Georgians, as many recall, reached the Euro for the first time, where they not only secured third place in a tough group with Portugal, Turkey, and the Czech Republic, but also advanced to the round of 16, where they were knocked out by future champions Spain (1-4), even holding the lead for a period. It's worth noting their triumphant victory over Portugal (2-0), which propelled them into the playoffs.
In the Nations League, things initially went swimmingly: victories in the first two rounds against the Czech Republic (4-1) and Albania (1-0). But fortune soon turned against them, with only one point gathered from their next four encounters against Ukraine (0-1, 1-1), Albania (0-1), and the Czech Republic (1-2). These results dropped them to third place, leading them to face Armenia in a battle to remain in League B. Kvaratskhelia and company excelled in this task with convincing results - 3-0, 6-1.
The World Cup qualification for Willy Sagnol's squad is just beginning, but their preparation raises some concerns, given two friendly matches with mixed outcomes: a narrow home win against the Faroe Islands followed by a draw with Cape Verde (1-1).
Turkey
Turkey, on the other hand, after bowing out bitterly in the round of 16 at the European Championship to the Netherlands (1-2), despite leading until the 70th minute, went on to secure a spot in League A of the Nations League, despite finishing second in a group with Wales, Iceland, and North Macedonia. Had it not been for an unexpected away loss to the Macedonians (1-3), Turkey might have skipped the playoffs entirely. Nevertheless, they handled those matchups brilliantly, twice defeating solid Hungary (3-1, 3-0).
In preparation for qualification, Vincenzo Montella's team traveled to the States, playing against the USA and Mexico. They managed to overcome the Americans - 2-1, although succumbed to Mexico, the giants of North America, with a 0-1 loss. In many ways, it was down to missed chances, as Turkey outperformed the Mexicans in several key areas.
Turkey's attack is thrilling, spearheaded by Çalhanoğlu, Güler, and Aktürkoğlu. They scored 17 goals across ten official and friendly fixtures. It’s fair to categorize them as strong contenders for at least a second-place finish. Who knows, they might even challenge a powerful Spain, especially in home matches.
Prediction
Georgia's form is less than impressive at present. There might be some turnaround in their initial context matches. However, their clashes against the Faroe Islands and Cape Verde have clearly shown ongoing instability and lapses in attack that plagued them during the Nations League are still persistent. Even the Faroe Islands had their moments of potential goals, stumbling only due to a lack of finesse.
Turkey, conversely, seems to be growing in strength with each match. They were formidable against the USA and notably Mexico, where they deserved at least a draw. Furthermore, their fearsome attack shouldn't be underestimated, having failed to score in just ten recent matches against only Mexico and Wales twice. Meanwhile, Georgia managed just thrice "clean sheets" over the same stretch of games.
These two sides crossed paths not long ago at the European Championship, where Montella's squad confidently overcame Sagnol's team with a 3-1 victory. Hence, Turkey is already acutely aware of Georgia's vulnerabilities. I'm inclined to make a bet in favor of the Turks here, albeit it being an away match, warranting some caution by opting for a "draw no bet" strategy.
