The Turkish National Team delivered a dominant and crucial performance on Tuesday night, powering past rivals Georgia with a decisive 4-1 victory at the Kocaeli Stadyumu in the 2026 World Cup Group E qualifiers.
The win firmly solidifies Turkey’s grip on the second-place playoff spot with two matches remaining, and for those interested in football betting on the national team, it ensure that the Crescent Stars kept their dream of reaching the World Cup for just the second time alive.
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Vincenzo Montella’s men started the match with palpable intensity, carrying the momentum from their recent 6-1 rout of Bulgaria.
The hosts took an early lead through an exquisite finish from Kenan Yıldız on 15 minutes, whose recent goal-scoring form carried over from the last international break.
The Juventus star now has three goals in his last two games for the Turkish national team and has been involved in nine goals in his last nine games for club and country.
Just seven minutes later, the lead was doubled when centre-back Merih Demiral found the net in the 22nd minute with a powerful header from a Hakan Çalhanoğlu corner.
Midfielder Yunus Akgün then struck in the 35th minute, giving the Crescent-Stars a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the break.
The second half began just as commandingly as the first. Merih Demiral continued his standout evening by scoring his second goal of the match in the 52nd minute, completing a rare brace for a central defender and putting Turkey 4-0 up.
Georgia managed to pull a goal back and briefly spoil the clean sheet when Giorgi Kochorashvili scored a consolation goal for the visitors in the 64th minute.
The victory ensures Turkey maintains a commanding lead over third-placed Georgia, making the path to the playoffs significantly clearer.
Speaking after the match, Montella praised his players’ resilience and maturity. “I am very pleased that we won, I am very proud. We started very well in the first half, we started very aggressively, we didn’t give the opponent a place. Then, when the score eased a little, I liked the second half less. We had to run more. There was no table we wanted in the second half, but in general, winning is important. 1 point on the way to the play-off now pleases us. We will continue to walk on our way with firm steps,” he said.
“We scored very important goals in these two matches against Georgia. Although the goals we conceded bothered me, we got 6 points in two Georgia matches by showing a very good performance. Our football players showed an incredible performance. We have dreams in our heads. Who doesn’t want to surprise and be the first in the Spain match? Of course, we are considering the group leadership, but the group is a little in the hands of Spain,” he added.
For Georgia, the defeat is a significant setback to their hopes of reaching their first-ever World Cup, despite a spirited effort from key man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Turkey, meanwhile, now focuses on their final two fixtures, needing to maintain focus to avoid any late slip-ups and secure their place in the final qualification phase. The decisive win is a powerful statement of intent that resonates across Group E.
