Georgian national football team held a friendly match against Turkey on “Red Bull Arena” in Salzburg. Georgians showed good playing only in few episodes and lost – 1:3. Temur Ketsbaia did not have inexperienced players but Turkey had experimental team.
Advantage of the rival was obvious in the first half when because of mistakes of Georgian defensive line, two goals were scored in the goal of Giorgi Loria, goalkeeper of “Dinamo” Tbilisi. At first, Ucha Lobzhanidze prevented rivals from scoring goal but Hamit Altintop showed himself and scored goal. It happened at the 12th minute and the second goal was scored till the end of the first half. Georgian goalkeeper saved his team several times but at the 40th minute, he could do nothing against the shot of Nuri Sahin.
Georgian team was more mobilized in the second half and had advantage for 20 minutes. Soon, after the assist of Nika Gelashvili, Davit Targamadze scored goal against Turkish goalkeeper Cenk Gonen.
The players of Ketsbaia strengthened pressure and Sandro Kobakhidze earned a good free kick. Turkish goalkeeper parried the shot of Aleksandre Amisulashvili and then Levan Mchedlidze kicked the ball though Gonan caught it and was in knockdown. By the way, after this episode, the goalkeeper felt bad and asked for substitution.
Mchedlidze, forward of Italian “Empoli”, played well in all episodes.
Georgian team had advantage only at the beginning of the second half. Turkey equalized playing after that and scored the third goal. At the 82nd minute, Austrian referee Markus Hameter punished Buba Daushvili for playing with hand and awarded penalty.
It is worth mentioning that Daushvili played with hand before that too. Loria could not parry penalty of Inan.
Tornike Okriashvili shot the ball well and the goalkeeper parried it on corner…
Turkish national football team which is left beyond European Championship, like Georgia, will hold four (!) test matches (Finland, Bulgaria, Portugal and Ukraine) till June 5. The team of Temur Ketsbaia will hold the next friendly match against Luxembourg on August 15.
Friendly match. Salzburg, “Red Bull Arena”
Georgia – Turkey 1:3 (0:2)
Georgia: Loria, Amisulashvili, Kvirkvelia (Dzalamidze, 89), Lobzhanidze (Daushvili, 46), Kankava (Lipartia, 72), Targamadze (Okriashvili, 64), Khizanishvili (Popkhadze, 63), Kashia, Gelashvili, Dvalishvili (Mchedlidze, 46), Kobakhidze.
Head coach: Temur Ketsbaia.
Turkey: Gonen (Giunok, 62), Korkmaz, Koybasi, Toprak, Kurtulus, Sahin (Inan, 56), Altintop (Erkin, 70), Sararer, Pektemek (Bulut, 61), Tore (Turan, 56), Topal.
Head coach: Abdullah Avci.
Goals: 0:1 Altintop (12), 0:2 Sahin (40), 1:2 Targamadze (51), 1:3 Inan (82, pen).
Booked: Toprak 79, Mchedlidze 90.
Referee: Markus Hameter (Austria).
