The sound and the glory, that somehow offers England hope for glory. Georgia have literally roared their way into the last 16, to follow a first ever qualification for a tournament with a first qualification for the knockout stages, after a momentous 2-0 win over Portugal.
The raucous travelling support made it sound like all of the population was here. The return of proper crowds has ensured deafening noise has been an exhilarating theme of Euro 2024, and Georgia took it up a few decibels. This may have been the peak. It was certainly a peak in the country’s history, and that national moment may also have given England a moment that could yet have a significant impact on their tournament. This result ensured Gareth Southgate’s side will meet Slovakia rather than the Netherlands, in what now seems an even more forgiving potential run to the final.
The manager can of course just point to results like that from Portugal, and the very make-up of that last 16, as to why no one should be complacent about playing Slovakia. This tournament has had more surprises than expected, partly because there are few truly elite sides. It has given upwardly mobile teams like Georgia a real opportunity if they are willing to seize it, as they more than did here. In fact, they eagerly grasped it, as could be witnessed with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s exhilarating goal after just a minute.
Georgia enjoyed a moment they will remember forever as Antonio Silva endured two he’ll want to immediately forget. This was where another theme of the tournament influenced the game. The 24-team nature means that qualifications are secured early, meaning this was another match where a more successful national team could put out their second side. That has been a factor distorting all this.
Not that Georgia cared. They were so focused on what was required. Portugal were not.
Not needing to be as sharp as in their first two games, Antonio Silva began this one with as lazy a pass as you can get. The ball was played into open space in the Portuguese midfield, allowing Georges Mikautadze to just run onto it. From there, it was all straight lines, direct to goal. Mikautadze slid the ball through to Kvaratshkelia. The Napoli forward was never missing. He so elegantly but exactly drove the ball into the bottom of the net.
It fit with the luxurious Georgian attacking. Their attackers are so good at looking languid and as if stalling on the ball, only to so suddenly change pace.
It is a perception only deepened by the fact half their starting outfield players have their socks rolled down, chief among them was Kvaratshkelia. There is a freedom to their attacks, albeit with the image offset by the ferocity of their play.
That has been another trend of these final group games, as teams who infrequently qualify realise how close they are to history. It could be witnessed in Giorgi Mamardashvili’s saves. It could be seen in how Giorgi Gvelesiani threw himself at the ball with everything when Cristiano Ronaldo looked in on goal. There were so many moments like that, although not from Ronaldo.
Georgia were maybe someway fortunate there was an insistence on playing the veteran with an otherwise untried team. There was so much energy in what was a generally good Portuguese attacking display, until it got to Ronaldo. This isn’t to say he can’t still be effective, as we have already seen in this tournament, but it is like his use now needs to be sparing rather than… all the time.
Here, as Portugal built around him, he moaned at a teammate for not allowing him a chance. Such mouthing off eventually brought Ronaldo a booking, and he was eventually subbed off having done little.
By then, having abrasively held their own and fought for any inch further forward, Georgia were 2-0 up. It came from another clumsy Antonio Silva moment, of the sort that reflected a lack of edge. After Georgia had once again managed to release from a relentless Portuguese attack, the ball was worked to Luka Lochoshbili on the edge of the box. Having already played an inexplicable pass, Antonio Silva then inexplicably left a leg out. Luchosvili went down, and Portugal temporarily went up the other. It resulted in what seemed the umpteenth shot from distance that went narrowly wide, this time from Ruben Neves. Although he put his hands to his head in anguish, it wouldn’t have counted. Portugal might have looked like they were getting closer but the gap was about to widen.
VAR reviewed Antonio Silva’s challenge, and a penalty was given. Mikautadze stepped up. The penalty was scored, and the Georgian squad celebrated in the way you see when a team has won a shoot-out – even the substitute goalkeepers running up to jump on the scorers.
That’s because it kind of was. They had gatecrashed their way into the last 16.
The celebrations don’t sound like they’re going to die down any time soon. This crowd, and players like Kvaratshkelia and Mikautadze, promise another event. The sound at the final whistle here, however, will be hard to match.
