Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Georgia breaks into the field while beneath stress from Diogo Dalot of Portugal as Antonio Silva, Joao Neves and Francisco Conceicao of Portugal look on in the course of the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Georgia and Portugal at Area AufSchalke on June 26, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
| Photograph Credit score: Getty Pictures
Georgia staged the most important upset in Euro historical past with a 2-0 win over Portugal on Wednesday to stride into the knock-out part of their first main event, because of an early Khvicha Kvaratskhelia strike and a Georges Mikautadze penalty.
The win, albeit in opposition to a largely second-string Portugal who had already made it into the following spherical, represented the best end result for Georgia for the reason that nation gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Performed out in entrance of tens of 1000’s of raucous Georgia followers, it was additionally the most important shock primarily based on rankings which put the staff rated 74th on the earth in opposition to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal who have been ranked sixth and have been European champions in 2016.
Having come a disappointing fourth of their Euro qualifying group, Georgia needed to take a circuitous path to Germany, first by successful their group within the much less glamorous Euro Nations event after which defeating Greece in a play-off.
However there was nothing undeserved about the best way Coach Willy Sagnol, the previous Bayern Munich and France defender, and his aspect claimed a third-place end within the event’s Group F and arrange a last-16 assembly with three-time Euro winners Spain.
When these two sides met final September within the qualifying stage for the event in Germany, Spain thrashed Georgia 7-1 in Tbilisi.
Georgia’s win additionally implies that England will line up in opposition to Slovakia, Romania tackle Netherlands and Portugal face Slovenia within the spherical of 16. Hungary, who had been in competition for a spot within the subsequent spherical, have been edged out.
Within the different Group F match on Wednesday, Turkey booked their place within the final 16 with a 2-1 win over 10-man Czech Republic, who now head dwelling.
Georgia, the event debutants, took the lead within the second minute when Kvaratskhelia, the Napoli winger, raced away after a careless cross by Antonio Silva and powered a low shot previous Diogo Costa in Portugal’s aim.
Ronaldo — certainly one of solely three starters for Portugal who additionally performed of their 3-0 win over Turkey on Saturday — stretched and strained for each ball as he sought to grow to be the oldest aim scorer at a Euro event on the age of 39.
However Georgia defended as if their lives depended upon it and sought to catch Portugal on the break. Within the 53rd minute, Silva compounded his earlier error by committing a foul within the field that was given as a penalty after a VAR test.
Mikautadze, who had supplied the cross for Kvaratskhelia to open the scoring early on, steered his spot kick previous Costa, making him the highest scorer at Euro 2024 to date with three targets.
Ronaldo was booked within the first half for arguing and lower a pissed off determine when he was substituted after the break, kicking out at a water bottle. It’s the first time in his lengthy profession that he failed to attain within the group stage of a serious worldwide event.
Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made late saves to maintain Portugal at bay, and at full time the remainder of the squad and training workers sprinted on to the sector to leap and dance in entrance of their followers.
The celebrations have been absolutely deserved. Georgia got here near snatching a draw with Turkey however misplaced 3-1 of their opening sport and missed an important likelihood to beat the Czech Republic just a few days later in a 1-1 draw, leaving them perilously near elimination – till Wednesday’s historic evening in Gelsenkirchen.