Every tournament, fans eagerly anticipate underdog stories. With Italy clinching the EURO 2020 title, many hoped to see some surprises this year. While Austria stunned Europe yesterday with a 3-2 thriller victory against the Netherlands, securing the top spot in their group, today’s headlines are all about Georgia. Against all odds, they advanced. Here’s their story.
History Makers 🔥🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/nW2Ugm7rGU
— Georgia • GFF (@GeorgiaGff) June 27, 2024
Ronaldo Struggles as Portugal Rotates Squad
Portugal rotated every single player except Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese striker remained on display but failed to impress.
This has been a forgettable campaign for the former Real Madrid star, who has yet to score a single goal. While this could have been the story of the night, it isn’t.
Georgia’s Remarkable EURO Debut
The biggest story is Georgia’s qualification, marking their debut in the EURO. Many journalists, including the author, believed Georgia would be the weakest team in the tournament.
Georgia had to battle through the playoffs, securing the last available spot in tense matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia drops the most wholesome player of the match interview after Georgia defeat Portugal 🥰🇬🇪
‘𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒏.’#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/UviPP79dEi
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) June 27, 2024
This nervousness was evident in the group stages, with a 1-3 nightmare defeat against Turkey, resulting in multiple yellow cards. The players’ loss of composure was also noticeable during the playoffs. Despite a 3-1 loss, they kept fighting. Georgia’s 1-1 draw against Czechia in the second game was less tense but maintained that nervous atmosphere.
Georgia looked comfortable against Portugal. Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring within the first two minutes, but Portugal struggled. They suffered until the last minute, when Georges Mikautadze doubled the score following a penalty in the 57th minute.
Georges Mikautadze scored more goals (3) in the #EURO2024 Group Stage than:
◉ 2 – England 🏴
◉ 2 – France 🇫🇷
◉ 2 – Belgium 🇧🇪All eyes on me… pic.twitter.com/G9M71DqrAb
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 26, 2024
Nobody from the group managed to defeat Portugal – Czechia lost in the final minutes, and Turkey paid the price for missing Arda Güler.
Many thought Georgia was certain to say goodbye to the tournament, but they defied the odds. The beauty of already-qualified teams rotating is that it gives space for surprises and underestimations. Portugal’s first match against Czechia was a lackluster performance, and although they improved against Turkey, it wasn’t enough.
What’s certain is that it’s never a good look to lose against a team qualifying for the first time in its history. Georgia ends the campaign with four points, just enough to qualify as one of the four third-placed teams. As a result, they will face Spain in the last 16, which is a harsh challenge ahead.
Georgia’s Classic Underdog Victory Over Portugal
Georgia’s victory brings excitement to neutral fans, as there’s never been a more stereotypical underdog.
🇪🇸 Spain will face Georgia in the last 16 of #EURO2024 🇬🇪
[📷 @SEFutbol ] pic.twitter.com/636z0qFnik
— Get Spanish Football News (@GSpanishFN) June 26, 2024
Portugal dominated and, in many ways, ticked all the boxes – or almost. They registered over ten shots, dominated possession, and never stopped attacking. But much like England and France, this was simply not enough. Georgia built a wall, and Portugal needed to do better.
The players themselves didn’t seem to believe in a victory yesterday.
‘Kvaradona’, the leader of the team due to his status as an international star, claimed that the chances of the Caucasus nation winning the game against Portugal were 1%. As football keeps providing thrilling narratives, it once again proved that this ‘1%’ was enough.
💭🇬🇪🇵🇹 Kvaratskhelia with Ronaldo’s shirt and MOTM Award: “Dreams”. pic.twitter.com/AOIeWgH5En
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 26, 2024
While Georgia was often tense throughout the tournament and the qualifiers, they justified their presence and victory tonight. Many might argue that Georgia barely touched the ball – only 28% possession – but the stats are clear: Portugal was inefficient. Even worse, they were nervous.
The converted penalty in the 57th minute resulted from Diogo Dalot bringing down his opponent in the box. The VAR had no doubts. Cristiano Ronaldo, supposedly a veteran who should exhibit exemplary conduct, saw his complaints ignored by the referees. Throwing a tantrum while playing an awful tournament is certainly a choice.
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Big Teams Struggle Against Deep Blocks in EURO 2024
Curiously enough, this seems to be a trend in the tournament, regardless of the points needed by teams to qualify.
Big teams are struggling against old-school deep blocks, as evidenced by England’s similar story against Slovenia (0-0), another “dark horse” contender. France also experienced the dangers of a lack of precision, as Poland held them to a 1-1 draw.
These three games share common characteristics: teams with immense talent but lacking philosophy and cohesion.
Preparados para começar o jogo! 🦾🫡 #PartilhaAPaixão | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/tjFhkK87h4
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) June 26, 2024
Portugal’s rhythm has been slow and hesitant, a result of a lack of belief. Why this is the case is a separate question, but it certainly raises doubts about their status as one of Europe’s big footballing nations.
Georgia’s Historic EURO Run Inspires a Nation
What happens against Spain doesn’t matter. Many fans miss these underdog stories in the Champions League; international tournaments are often freer in their tactical nature, offering more variety. Coaches only have a few weeks to assemble their squads, and international friendlies rarely reflect the intensity of tournament play.
Georgia was already ecstatic to qualify for the tournament for the first time in its history – whatever happened in the Group Stage genuinely did not matter.
The first game, a 3-1 defeat against Turkey, seemed to signal the fate of a newcomer destined to be roughly beaten due to the cruel nature of the competition. But instead, Georgia defied expectations and made it through. Exiting the tournament against eventual winners will be a source of pride for many Georgians.
Incredible footage of Georgian capital Tbilisi at the moment the national team went 2-0 up vs. Portugal. ❤️🔥
On their major-tournament debut, Georgia beat the 2016 European champions to reach the last 16 & record their greatest victory to date. 🇬🇪pic.twitter.com/nbUEstqvfX
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 26, 2024
Undoubtedly, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is now applauded and admired across the country. He will be a source of inspiration for generations to come in Sakartvelo. This is the highest form of praise anyone could receive in their lifetime: to inspire not only a few young ballers in the street but to be admired and respected across the nation.
Portugal’s Grim Prospects in Tough EURO 2024 Bracket
For Portugal, things look grim. The only convincing game was against Turkey, where the Turks unexplainably benched Arda Güler. Portugal will face Slovenia, who recently demonstrated to England the importance of accuracy in the final third.
Even worse, Portugal finds themselves on the difficult end of the bracket, with their next potential opponent being the winner of the France-Belgium clash. This is the ‘better quality’ bracket, often considered the ‘wrong’ side for many teams. Portugal has been warned: They must change. Evolve or crash out.
