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June 27 2024
Georgia vs Portugal: "Georgia vs Portugal" saw Georgia secure their passage to the knockout stages in their inaugural European Championship appearance. They achieved this remarkable feat by defeating the former Euro champions with a scoreline of 2-0.
The victory came mainly thanks to an early goal by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and a penalty scored by Georges Mikoutadze. Despite facing a Portuguese team that fielded many of its reserve players who had already qualified for the next round, the win is regarded as Georgia's most important achievement since gaining independence in 1991.
Georgia's journey to Euro 2024 was not easy. After finishing fourth in their qualifying group, they had to go through the Euro Nations tournament, where they topped their group before beating Greece in the playoffs.
This background makes their group stage performance and progression to the knockout rounds even more commendable. Under the guidance of coach Willy Sagnol, a former Bayern Munich and France defender, Georgia not only progressed but also finished third in Group F, which will see them face Spain in the last-16, a team that has won the Euro tournament three times.
The implications of Georgia's win extend far beyond their own achievements. It also sets up the tie for the other teams in the Round of 16, with England facing Slovakia, Romania the Netherlands and Portugal Slovenia. Hungary, who were favourites to advance, were eventually eliminated.
Georgia's strong start to the match was highlighted by Kvaratselia's goal in the second minute after a mistake by Portugal's Antonio Silva. Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his efforts and the historic significance of becoming the oldest goalscorer in Euro tournament history, could not influence the outcome of the game.
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Georgia's defence remained impenetrable, effectively neutralising Portugal's attempts to score, and their strategy of exploiting counter-attacking opportunities was further reinforced when Silva's foul resulted in a penalty, which was confirmed after a VAR review. Mikautadze's successful penalty not only ensured the win, but also made him the tournament's leading scorer at the time.
The match saw Ronaldo visibly frustrated, receiving a booking for dissent and later expressing his disappointment by kicking a water bottle after his substitution. Georgia's goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili played a key role in preserving the lead in the final moments, resulting in joyous celebrations by the Georgian players and coaching staff at the final whistle, watched by thousands of their supporters.
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