In the biggest shock of Euro 2024 so far (according to FIFA World Rankings), Georgia defeated Portugal 2-0 to book their place in the knockout stages in their first appearance in a major tournament.
Georgia, ranked 74th in the world, had already qualified as top of Group F, so took advantage of the rotations used by Portugal (ranked 6th in the world) coach Roberto Martinez, scoring inside the second minute through the highly talented Khubica Kvaratskeria and then a penalty kick from Georges Mikoutadze later in the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo started the match but was substituted only after receiving a yellow card in the 66th minute as his quest to become the oldest goalscorer in Euros history (aged 39) continued.
Portugal will face Slovenia in the last 16 in Frankfurt on Monday night, with the winner moving on to face the winner of France-Belgium in the quarter-finals.
Georgia’s impressive win sees them finish the season in third place behind Turkey and they will face Spain in Cologne on Sunday. It will be a tough match against the only team in the competition with a 100% win rate, but Georgia will be confident of causing another upset.
Here, our writers break down the key points of the game…
Since when has Georgia been good at soccer?
Georgia defeated Greece in a playoff penalty shootout at the end of March to qualify for their first major tournament, Euro 2024. They finished fourth in their Euro qualifying group, behind Cyprus, but topped Group C4 in the Nations League to advance to the playoffs.
Georgia coach Willy Sagnol said after their historic qualification for Euro 2024. Athletic They said they would “play with ambition” and that the players “did not want to go to Germany to shop or sightsee.”
That’s certainly what they did in their three group matches, displaying bravery and attacking flair in stark contrast to the passive approach taken by Scotland manager Steve Clarke as the Scots meekly exited the tournament.
Georgia played a thrilling opening match against Turkey and then came close to beating the Czech Republic before tonight’s shock win over Portugal, using a combination of dogged determination, quick counterattacks and some brilliant play to secure a victory.
Football is growing in popularity in Georgia and the country is committed to cultivating and developing young talent – it hosted the U-19 Euros in 2017 and co-hosted the U-21 Euros with Romania last year.
Besides Kvaratskheria, other standouts in the squad so far have included highly-rated Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who Sagnol rates as one of the best in Europe, and forward George Mikhautadze, who scored his team’s second goal from the penalty spot, after joining Ajax for £13m last summer before being loaned back to Metz.
Sagnol, who has been Georgia coach for three years, said he was able to use his experience playing in major tournaments with France to help his players.
He said: “I usually try to stay calm under stress and I think that’s important in Georgia with all the emotions.”
Tom Burrows
Why was Ronaldo so upset?
Cristiano Ronaldo must have wondered at times what he was doing there.
With Portugal already qualified for the knockout stages, most of his team-mates were given the night’s rest to refuel, but the 39-year-old was in a rage, defiant and receiving a yellow card, then yelling at the fourth official as he left the pitch at half-time, risking a red card.
His main complaint was that the referee didn’t award Portugal a penalty after his shirt was tugged on in the 25th minute. It was understandable to be frustrated, but that frustration dogged him for the rest of the match. By the time he was substituted midway through the second half, he was still goalless in three Euro 2024 appearances: 12 shots, no goals.
As he left the pitch he shook hands with his replacement manager Gonzalo Ramos and coach Roberto Martinez, but he looked furious – he vented his anger at a water bottle, kicked it into a plastic box and sat on the bench with his blood boiling.
Oliver Kay
How good is Kvaratskheria?
At the heart of Georgia’s best play has been their goalkeeper and captain, Kvaratskheria, who has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain or possibly even Napoli this summer.
Georgia coach Willy Sagnol said: Athletic How two years ago we moved Kvaratskheria to a more central position to give him more touches on the ball. “For me it was important to have a player like this in the most important part of the pitch because there aren’t many players like him,” the manager said.
Georgia took a shock early lead against Portugal when he received a pass from Mikoutadze in front of goal, sprinted and fired a sharp left-footed shot past goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Then, five minutes into the second half, Georgia had a golden opportunity to double their lead, but their shot fell flat.
Kvaratskheria’s tireless running, rolling up his socks and never giving up attitude inspired his team to their greatest victory in history.
Tom Burrows
Is Portugal’s second team as strong as it looks?
Only three players from Portugal’s 3-0 win over Turkey – Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Parinha and Diogo Costa – started in the final group game against Georgia. Perhaps manager Roberto Martinez was inspired by Luis de la Fuente, who made 10 changes to Spain’s 1-0 win over Albania. De la Fuente’s gamble paid off, but Portugal struggled apart from a few players.
That was evident in the second minute, when 20-year-old centre-back Antonio Silva hesitated and passed the ball without looking back, leading directly to Kvaratskeria’s goal. When Silva awarded a penalty late in the game, it was hard not to feel he’d been unfairly put in a tough spot.
Wolverhampton Wanderers fans are used to seeing Pedro Neto sprinting down the right wing, cutting in with his left foot and firing with glee, but Martinez deployed him at left-back and, although he was still effective at times, it was a waste of his talent.
But Portugal will not panic. They had already qualified top of their group and this was a free hit. Joao Felix was a bright light here after a disappointing season at Barcelona, and there was a moment just before half-time when Felix and Francisco Conceição sliced through the Georgia defence with a devilish collection of passes and some slick trickery.
Conceição tormented opponents with his dribbling and won a number of free kicks in dangerous positions. It may not have been a perfect result for Martinez, but he now has a far better understanding of which of his substitutes can step in and contribute in the second half of the tournament.
Seeing Neto, Felix and Conceição come off the bench would be a scary prospect for any team.
Jay Harris
So far, who is the goalkeeper of the tournament?
So what about Giorgi Mamadashvili? Prior to tonight’s game, he had allowed four goals at Euro 2024, but that came from 20 shots on target. His total expected goals after 20 shots (PSxG) was 7.0. In other words, his shot stops could be the difference between seven goals and three.
He also played well against Portugal, looking far from exhausted but with a fine save from Diogo Dalot early in the second half and generally looking confident and competent in everything he did, including scrambling to his left to stop Pedro Neto’s corner from sliding in at the near post in first-half added time.
In the past, a talented goalkeeper emerging from an under-the-radar country like Georgia might have been a classic tournament discovery, but the 23-year-old Mamardashvili caught the eye of Valencia while playing for Lokomotiv Tbilisi in the Europa League, where he has spent the past three seasons. He is widely regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe, but it was in Germany that he really shone.
Oliver Kay
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(Photo: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
