European Championship (EURO) debutants Georgia had little hope of making it to the Round of 16 when they locked horns with Group F winners Portugal for their Matchday 3 clash on Wednesday, June 26. They were toiling in fourth place with a solitary point and needed a win over Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. to progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Georgia had a mountain to climb, but thanks to spirited performances from every single player in red, they got to the top with a few gallons left in the tank. It was a night of passion, precision, and jubilation from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s Georgia, who added another chapter to their already epic EURO 2024 journey.
Georgia Punish Portugal Mistakes In Stellar EURO 2024 Showdown
Most fans inside the Veltins-Arena expected Ronaldo’s Portugal to take the fight to Georgia on Wednesday night. The heavyweights started that way, putting pressure on the underdogs right away. However, a costly mistake from Antonio Silva spilled cold water on Portugal’s hopes for a perfect group stage return.
While trying to play out of the back, Silva squared the ball straight to Georges Mikautaze, who played a through ball for Kvaratskhelia down the left flank. The No. 7 took it in his stride, breached the box, and applied a thumping finish to find the bottom corner.
In the 17th minute, Ronaldo had a go at goal from a 30-yard free-kick. The former Manchester United man struck it well, but the goalkeeper comfortably parried it behind for a corner. Just before the break, Joao Felix had a poke at Giorgi Mamardashvili’s goal. But the Valencia goalkeeper reacted sharply and latched on to the shot.
Mamardashvili made the best save of the match in the 54th minute. Flying to his left, the 23-year-old deflected Diogo Dalot’s outside-the-box piledriver behind for a corner. Portugal failed to make the most of the set-piece, giving possession back to Georgia.
Silva, who handed Georgia their opener on a silver platter, conceded a…
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Author : Sushan Chakraborty
Publish date : 2024-06-27 04:48:45
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