Portugal faced off with Georgia in the last game of Group F. Their match alongside Turkey and the Czech Republic rounded off the final game of the Euro 2024 group stages.
Portugal had already qualified for the knockout stages after defeating Czech and Turkey. However, a win against Georgia will cement their spot as group leaders. And most likely allow them to pair against an easier opponent in the round of 16.
Georgia on the other end needs a desperate win to give them a shot at qualifying. A win will take them to 4 points. This puts them in the right spot of qualifying as 2nd or the best loser. It’s expected to be a very difficult task to take down the European giants. However, Georgia was surprised.
Portugal stunned by Georgia: First Half
Robert Martinez made some crucial changes in his team lineup. He rested the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Rafael Leao. Ruben Neves, Joao Palhinha, and Joao Felix had replaced them. However, he started their captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal started the game very slow. In the first minute, a misplaced pass from Antonio Silva led to a one-on-one situation with Kvaratskhelia and Rui Costa. The Napoli star slotted in home the first goal.
A motivated Portugal tried their best to get back in the game.
A chance from Joao Felix failed to find its target. Subsequently, Portugal had more opportunities but a great defensive display from Georgia prevented Portugal from a goal.
Also, Mamardashvilli the Georgian keeper had a role to play in hindering the Portuguese from scoring. The First Half ended and Portugal failed to find the net.
Portugal Stunned by Georgia: Second Half
The second half continued with more pressure from Portugal with Ronaldo nearly equalizing. However, his effort was blocked by the Georgian defenders. The pressure increased but Portugal struggled to find the opening. Georgia maintained compactness in the game.
Felix found himself pressured in his half near the corner. However, he loses the possession to Lochoshvili. The intervention of Antonio Silva in regaining possession caused a mild foul in the box. Lochoshvili fell, but the game continued. This Allowed Dalot to try a nice curler that saw a sublime save from Mamardashvilli.
After the attack, the officiating was recalled to check for a possible penalty. And then it was given. Although it seemed disappointing for Antonio Silva who had barely touched X. Wherein after the Georgia player fell.
Mikautadze slotted home the penalty. He was able to beat Costa despite the Portuguese keeper guessing the right directions.
After the goal, Portugal lost momentum immediately. This allowed Georgia to terrorize the Portuguese more. Few chances could have given them the third, but they lacked the clinical edge.
Portugal could have pulled one back from Semedo. A sublime cross from Felix found the Wolves man but was denied by Mamardashvilli.
In the end, Portugal saw themselves fall at the hands of the Georgian team.
Man of the Match performance
Napoli star Kvaratskhelia was a menace to the Portuguese defense. Even though Georgia never had much possession. But the little they had, majorly went through the Napoli star.
After scoring the first goal, he also had some moments of brilliance with the ball. He kept the ball within his reach very well. This made it extremely difficult for Portuguese players to dispossess him.
Nonetheless, most Georgian players had a great game. As they showed hunger, and played with rhythm, compared to Portugal.
About the Author
Ifeoluwa King is a lover of football and also a sports enthusiast. He’s been a football fan for 20 years. Pick any topic in the world of football and sports, and you’ll find him there. For more information about him and more of his awesome content, you can visit his X (Twitter) handle: @kng7.
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