Georgia 2 Portugal 0: Biggest shock of Euro 2024, frustration from Ronaldo, glorious Kvaratskhelia

In the biggest shock (according to the FIFA world rankings) of Euro 2024 so far, Georgia beat Portugal 2-0 to secure a place in the round of 16 in what constitutes their debut in a major tournament.

Georgia, ranked 74th, took advantage of Roberto Martinez’s rotation with a Portugal team (6th) already qualified at the top of Group F, scoring in the second minute thanks to the immense talent Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before Georges Mikautadze converted a penalty in the second half.

Cristiano Ronaldo started the match, but his quest to become the oldest player to ever score at a Euro – he is 39 – continues and he was substituted in the 66th minute with only a booking to show his efforts.

Portugal will face Slovenia in the round of 16 on Monday evening in Frankfurt and whoever emerges from this tie will face the winner of France v Belgium in the quarter-finals.

Georgia’s superb victory sees them finish third behind Turkey and their reward will be a match against Spain on Sunday in Cologne. It will be a tough prospect going up against the only team in the competition with a 100 percent winning record, but they will be aiming to pull off another upset.

Here, our editors analyze the key points of the game…

When did Georgia get good at football?

Georgia reached Euro 2024 – their first ever appearance at a major tournament – ​​after beating Greece in a playoff shootout in late March. They had actually finished fourth in their Euro qualifying group, ahead of only Cyprus, but reached the playoffs via the Nations League at the top of Group C4.

After their historic qualification for Euro 2024, Georgian manager Willy Sagnol said Athleticism they were going to “play with ambition” and how his players said they “didn’t want to go to Germany for shopping or sightseeing.”

In their three group matches they certainly did so, playing with courage and attacking flair – the opposite of Steve Clarke’s negative approach with Scotland, who exited the competition meekly.

Georgia played out a thriller against Turkey in their opening match and came close to beating the Czech Republic before tonight’s shock victory over Portugal, mixing dogged determination with quick counterattacks and touches of flair.

Football is growing in popularity in Georgia, where emphasis is placed on developing and nurturing young talent. They hosted the Under-19 Euros in 2017, then co-hosted the Under-21 Euros with Romania last year.

Besides Kvaratskhelia, their other standout players so far have been highly rated Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili – described by Sagnol as one of the best in Europe – and striker Georges Mikautadze, who scored his team’s second goal team on penalty. He was signed by Ajax last summer for £13 million ($16.4 million) but was later loaned to Metz.

Sagnol, who has coached Georgia for three years, said he was able to draw on his experience of major tournaments with France to help his players.

He said: “I usually try to stay calm even when it gets stressful. I think it’s important in Georgia where there are a lot of emotions.

Tom Burrows

Why was Ronaldo so frustrated?

There must have been times when Cristiano Ronaldo wondered what he was doing there.

Portugal had already qualified for the round of 16 and most of his teammates were entitled to an evening off to recharge their batteries, but here he was, at 39, losing his temper, receiving a yellow card for dissent and to risk a red card. when he shouted at the fourth official as he left the field at half-time.

His main complaint was the referee’s refusal to award Portugal a penalty after his shirt had been ripped off in the 25th minute. The frustration was understandable, but it consumed him for the rest of the game – until he was substituted midway through the second half, still without a goal in three appearances at Euro 2024. Twelve shots, no goals.

As he left the field, he shook hands with Goncalo Ramos, who replaced him, and coach Roberto Martinez. But he looked livid. He vented his frustration on a water bottle, kicking it into a plastic crate, before settling down on the bench, his blood boiling.

Olivier Kay

How good is Kvaratskhelia?

At the heart of Georgia’s best play was their talisman and captain, Kvaratskhelia, who has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and could move away from Napoli this summer.

Georgian manager Willy Sagnol said Athleticism how they moved Kvaratskhelia to a more central position two years ago to try to put him on the ball as much as possible. He said: “For me it was essential to have this kind of player in the most important part of the pitch because I don’t have many players like him. »

Georgia’s surprise lead against Portugal came after he was marked through on goal by Mikautadze, sprinted flawlessly and fired a crisp left-footed finish past goalkeeper Diogo Costa .

He then had a great chance to double Georgia’s lead five minutes into the second half, but missed.

Kvaratskhelia’s tireless running, trotting with her socks rolled up and never-say-die attitude helped inspire her team to the biggest victory in team history.

Tom Burrows

Is Portugal’s second string as strong as it looks?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Palhinha and Diogo Costa were the only survivors in Portugal’s 3-0 win over Turkey to start their final group match against Georgia. Perhaps head coach Roberto Martinez took inspiration from Luis de la Fuente who made 10 changes in Spain’s 1-0 win over Albania. De la Fuente’s bet succeeded but, apart from a few individuals, Portugal experienced difficulties.

This was evident from the second minute when 20-year-old central defender Antonio Silva hesitated on the ball and passed it back without looking, which directly led to Kvaratskhelia scoring. When Silva conceded a penalty in the second half, you couldn’t help but think he had been unfairly thrown in at the deep end.

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans are used to seeing Pedro Neto running wild down the right wing and cutting in on his left foot for fun, but he was used as a left-back by Martinez. He still looked effective in the flashes, but it was a waste of his talents.

Portugal will not panic, however. They had already qualified as group winners and it was a clear blow. Joao Felix has had a disappointing season with Barcelona, ​​but he has been a bright spark here. There was a moment just before halftime when Felix and Francisco Conceicao broke through the Georgia defense with a devilish collection of passes and nifty tricks.

Conceicao caused problems throughout with his dribbling and won several free kicks in dangerous positions. It may not have been the perfect result for Martinez, but he now has a much better understanding of which fringe players can step in and contribute in the latter stages of the tournament.

Seeing Neto, Felix and Conceicao come off the bench will be a scary prospect for every team.

Jay Harris

Goalie of the tournament so far?

And Giorgi Mamardashvili? Before tonight’s game, he had conceded four goals at Euro 2024 – but that was from 20 shots on target. The post-shot expected goals (PSxG) total for those 20 shots was 7.0. In other words, his shot saves could be described as the difference between conceding seven goals and three.

He was excellent again against Portugal. He wasn’t overworked, but there was a spectacular save from Diogo Dalot early in the second half and, more generally, there was an air of confidence and competence in everything he did, including getting rushing to his left to prevent a Pedro Neto corner. to crawl inside the near post in first-half stoppage time.

In another era, an exceptional goalkeeper from a less prestigious country like Georgia might seem like a classic tournament find. But Mamardashvili, 23, has spent the last three seasons at Valencia, having first caught the eye playing in the Europa League for Locomotive Tbilisi. He is widely recognized as one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe, but he really shone in Germany.

Olivier Kay

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(Photo: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)