Georgia pulled off a stunning upset by defeating Portugal 2-0 in their final Group F match at Euro 2024. Willy Sagnol’s men stunned the heavily favored side in Gelsenkirchen and will now advance to the knockout stage as one of the three best third-placed teams with their four points.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put Georgia ahead in the second minute, and Giorgi Mikautadze doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 58th minute.
Despite the loss, Portugal remains top of the group and will play Slovenia in the round of 16. In the other Group F match, Turkey defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, meaning Turkey advances as second in the group and will face Austria, while Georgia will face Spain in the round of 16.
The score in Gelsenkirchen was opened in the 2nd minute. The Georgians stole the ball in midfield and Mikautadze sent a superb pass to Kvaratskhelia on the left wing. The Georgian star entered the penalty area and with a dagger-like left-footed shot he beat the Portuguese goalkeeper.
The whole stadium held its breath in the 16th minute of the match when Ronaldo stepped up to take a free kick. The Portuguese superstar unleashed a real bomb towards Mamardashvili, but the Georgian goalkeeper still managed to box it out for a corner. Radars showed that Ronaldo’s shot was clocked at 130 km/h.
In the middle of the first half, João Palhinha tried his luck with a shot from about 25 meters out, but the ball was within Mamardashvili’s reach and he calmly caught it.
In the 28th minute, the ball was crossed into the Georgian box and Ronaldo was clearly held by his shirt. The ball still reached Conceição, who shot dangerously, but curled the ball around the outside of the net. Cristiano Ronaldo wanted a penalty for the hold, but it only resulted in a yellow card for the captain of the “Sailors”.
Ten minutes before the break, Kvaratskhelia had another chance to shoot at the Portuguese goal, but he did so from a very tight angle and the ball went past the right post.
Two minutes after the break, Portugal took a corner, after which the ball reached Ronaldo, and the captain of the “Sailors” managed to get a shot off, but after a deflection off the body of a Georgian defender, the ball landed on top of the goal net.
Shortly after Ronaldo’s miss, Kvaratskhelia also missed at the opposite goal. He received the ball around the penalty spot, but failed to find the ball well and the danger was averted.
In the 55th minute, António Silva fouled Otar Kiteishvili in the penalty area, and the referee initially ruled that there was no penalty. However, he was called over by his VAR colleagues and changed his decision, pointing to the spot. Giorgi Mikautadze stepped up to the ball and technically sent it into the bottom right corner for 2-0.
In the rest of the match, Portugal could have scored a consolation goal, but Mamardashvili kept the “Sailors” at bay and the match ended 2-0.
And if you want to try your luck, or have a gut feeling about the final result of one of the Euro 2024 matches, do it with the help of our trusted partner BetMGM by clicking on the banner below: