Ben Fisher’s match report is here, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company on a beautiful night for association football. Bye!
This guy is a) magnificent and b) only 23, which is very young for a keeper. He could still be playing at Euro 2040.
Mamardashvili 🚫#EURO2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/TXnkxGyekG
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024
“Well, we needed that - passionate, coherent, sides to take, jeopardy at every turn, ecstatic fans and a deserved result,” says Charles Antaki. “The other games this last couple of days had been in any case rubbish, but this would have knocked them out of the reckoning even if they’d been merely routine. Well done Georgia.”
The Iceland de nos jours.
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It’s kicking off at the end of the Czech Republic/Turkey game! Join Scott Murray for his blow-by-blow report.
Turkey have scored a late winner against Czech Republic. That means this will be the line up for the last 16.
Switzerland v Italy
Germany v Denmark
England v Slovakia
Spain v Georgia
France v Belgium
Portugal v Slovenia
Romania v Netherlands
Austria v Turkey
“Your colleague Eric Devin wrote a lovely article about Mikautadze and FC Metz for the Guardian back in April,” writes Kári Tulinius.
The celebrations are a thing of life-affirming beauty. Kvaratskhelia shakes hands with his hero Ronaldo and then charges over to join his mates, who are jumping around in joyous disbelief. They have deservedly beaten Portugal to reach the knockout stages in their first major tournament. Remember the date: 26 June 2024. This night bonds them forever.
GEORGIA HAVE DONE IT! 👏
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 26, 2024
What started as a dream, is a reality. They are headed for the knockout phase! 🇬🇪#Euro2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/WFCXonl7Tn
Updated
Full time: Georgia 2-0 Portugal
Georgia will play Spain in the last 16 after the most glorious night in their football history. The golden boys, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze, scored the goals but all the other outfield players worked like beasts, particularly in the 55 minutes between the two goals. And the goalkeeper, the mighty Giorgi Mamardashvili, played with the authority of an all-time great.
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90+4 min Another long-range stinger from Dalot is pushed aside by Mamardashvili, diving to his left.
90+3 min Conceicao’s cross shot somehow evades everyone and goes just wide of the far post.
90+1 min One last save from the mighty Mamardashvili, who shows excellent reactions to paw Semedo’s volleyed cross to safety before it can reach Ramos in front of an open goal.
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90 min Nunes floats a poor cross straight out of play. Georgia’s players are four minutes away from immortality.
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89 min “Here in Naples, there is delight in seeing Kvaratskhelia back to his glorious self playing for his country, making those runs deep into the opponent’s half and scoring,” writes Colum Fordham. “In one of the crunch matches running up to Napoli’s scudetto victory, a match against local rivals Salernitana, there were loads of Georgia fans outside the Maradona stadium who had come specially to cheer for their national hero and for his team. So very moving to see Georgia do so well in the Euros against a top team like Portugal.”
88 min Georgia are the only team who look like scoring now. The second goal really flattened Portugal.
87 min This is delightful.
In 2013, Ronaldo opened a football academy in Georgia and one of the children there was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
— Out of Context Football Manager (@XPremiumUpdate) June 26, 2024
Tonight, Kvaratskhelia scored in the first minute vs Portugal and they are now leading 2-0… 🤯
Unbelievable 😂👏 pic.twitter.com/mnnhIuB5jG
85 min: Chance for Georgia! Mikautadze nutmegs Joao Felix on the left and pokes a lovely pass through to Davitashvili, who splashes a left-foot shot into the side netting.
Forget the goals, Mikautadze looks an extremely good all-round centre forward.
85 min Mekvabishvili is booked for a tactical foul on Matheus Nunes.
84 min Ruben Neves’s overhit cross goes over the bar. Portugal have been poor.
83 min Conceicao tries to dribble past Kakabadze, who times his challenge immaculately, runs 30 yards and wins a throw-in. And with it, a breather.
82 min Matheus Nunes mistimes his header at the far post after a cross from the left. It didn’t look a great chance but I’d like to see a replay before I absolve him.
81 min: Double substitution for Georgia Zuriko Davitashvili and Anzor Mekvabishvili replace the outstanding pair of Giorgi Chakvetadze and Khvicha Karavtskhelia.
79 min Georgia look as comfortable as they have all night. This really, really, really could happen.
76 min: Georgia substitution Solomon Kvirkvelia comes on for Giorgi Bvelesiani.
76 min “I’m Cristiano Ronaldo’s biggest fan so my blood is literally boiling,” growls Liisa Sletzinger. “From the start I didn’t get what the Portugal coach was thinking. Isn’t the disappointment of a national team often that the players don’t play together much and thus don’t gel, and then underperform? So what if Portugal are already through, the core team should still play to continue much-needed syncing. A few subs sure, but eight?”
I can see both sides! It worked for Spain to change the whole team, as it has in previous tournaments. Personally I’d drop Ronaldo but that’s just my opinion. Let’s be honest, we’ve all got one.
75 min: Portugal substitution Diogo Jota replaces Pedro Neto. And Matheus Nunes comes on for Joao Neves.
Updated
74 min Conceicao digs out a dangerous cross that is held with authority by Mamardashvili. He has been immense in the last two games.
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72 min “The penalty was a wee bit soft but surely what convinced the VAR was the hilarious reaction from the Portuguese player who committed the foul,” says Stephen McCrossan. “He knew what was coming. Watch it again - I burst out laughing!”
71 min: Chance for Georgia! Portugal continue to give a textbook demonstration of the concept of sterile domination. Then they lose the ball and Georgia break three on three. Chakvetadze charges from the halfway line to the edge of the area before hammering a shot just over the bar.
69 min “You’re absolutely right, now the save counts for nothing but highlight reels,” says Kári Tulinius. “Trying to follow two matches at once, both featuring teams in white and red shirts, makes it difficult to keep the timelines straight.”
They should make one of us liveblog simultaneous games for the craic.
68 min Joao Neves tries an overhead kick and boots Kakabadze in the back of the head. He stays down for a bit but seems okay.
66 min Conceicao whistles a shot over the bar from the edge of the area. Meanwhile the Czech Republic have equalised against Turkey, who are suddenly fighting for their Euro 2024 life.
66 min: Double substitution for Portugal Goncalo Ramos and Nelson Semedo replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who boots the turf in frustration, and Antonio Silva.
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65 min Portugal will win the group regardless, but the good mood of the first two games has evaporated.
Meanwhile Kvaratskhelia zig-zags gloriously between three players and is brought down.
63 min: Georgia substitution Giorgi Tsitaishvili replaces the weary Luka Lochoshvili.
62 min “Mamardashvili’s save looks even better now,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Not to take anything away from the outfield players, but a goalkeeper of his quality can be the difference between glory and desolation.
Hang on, does it even count now? The penalty was given so anything that happened after the tackle by Antonio Silva is void, no? It doesn’t change the fact it was a helluva save though.
61 min Kvaratskehlia cuts into the area, twists one way and then the other before being desperately tackled by Dalot.
60 min Poor Antonio Silva, the young Benfica defender, has had a miserable night. He was at fault for both goals and took a half chance off Ronaldo’s head in the first half.
GEORGIA DOUBLE THEIR LEAD! 🇬🇪
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 26, 2024
The greatest night in Georgian football history edges closer 👀#Euro2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/U9DSto7Rs4
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58 min I can’t wait to hear the commentary for the second goal.
Now. You’re probably wondering how that sounded in Georgian. Well…. #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/PloNh4ZH26
— Will Downing (@WillDowningComm) June 26, 2024
What a terrific penalty. Diogo Costa dived the right way, to his left, but Mikautadze sidefooted it at pace into the corner. This is wonderful.
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GOAL! Georgia 2-0 Portugal (Mikautadze 57 pen)
Georges Mikautadze puts Georgia 2-0 up – and he’s now the leading goalscorer at Euro 2024!
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PENALTY TO GEORGIA!
55 min Oh my days. The contact wasn’t heavy, and Ally McCoist thinks Lochoshvili could have stayed on his feet had he wished, but there was definitely contact and that’s why it’s been given.
VAR has awarded Georgia a penalty 👀
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 26, 2024
Slight contact on the foot of Lochoshvili and it's enough. Has VAR got this one right? 🧐#Euro2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/jiykWv2pho
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54 min: What a save! Dalot, 25 yards out, whips a trademark curler on the half-turn that is sensationally clawed round the post by Mamardashvili. This keeper is magnificent.
They’re still checking that tackle by Antonio Silva on Lochoshvili – I think a penalty will be given! He definitely caught him.
WHAT A STOP
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 26, 2024
Giorgi Mamardashvili 👏#Euro2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/ZZAsVevoJU
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53 min Lochoshvili goes flying in the Portugal area, and half the Georgia bench are up appealing for the penalty. The referee waves him up. I’d like to see that again.
52 min Turkey have taken the lead against 10-man Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Ruben Neves is booked for a cynical foul on the industrious Chakvetadze.
51 min “This feels like a stupid thing to say after the end of Group E earlier today, but with the lack of jeopardy for many teams, this final round of group matches seems to have ruined the momentum of the tournament,” says Ben Mimmack. “Instead of death or glory and increasing excitement for the knockout stages, so many of these final group matches are serving up safety first, injury avoiding dross which is sucking the life out of the tournament. I found myself doing some work earlier instead of watching the game.
“I say we go back to the 1976 format. Four matches, 19 goals and Germany lost on penalties.”
Twenty-four teams isn’t quite right, is it. Trouble is, if you revert to 16 you lose many of the charming outsider stories we’ve had in the last three tournaments.
50 min: What a chance for Kvaratskhelia! Mamardashvili’s long punt downfield is collected near the byline on the right and cut back into the middle. Mikautadze misses his attempted shot and Kvaratskhelia, 15 yards out, miskicks the ball into the ground and straight at Diogo Costa.
Mikauatadze’s air shot might have put him off.
48 min Ruben Neves’s next corner bounces onto the arm of Kashia, but it was tight to his body so there’s nothing to see here.
47 min: So close! Dvali tries to clear Ruben Neves’s corner but heads it off a teammate and back towards Ronaldo, whose snapshot from six yards hits Dvali who knows nowt about it - and spins onto the roof of the net!
Updated
46 min The impressive Conceicao works the ball onto his left foot and shapes a shot that deflects behind off Dvali.
“Mamardashvili said knockout rounds!” chirps Peter Oh.
46 min Georgia begin the second half.
Portugal substitution
Ruben Neves replaces Joao Palhinha.
“I’m incredibly distracted by the long trousers of the Georgian No6, Giorgi Kochorashvili,” writes Jack. “It looks like one of the assistant coaches has wandered onto the field and hasn’t been caught yet. I genuinely can’t remember if I’ve ever seen such a high-profile hiding of the thighs before.”
Half-time reading
Half time: Georgia 1-0 Portugal
As things stand, Georgia are heading for the last 16. Cristiano Ronaldo might be heading for a red card: apparently he’s given somebody else a serve on the way off the field.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored a lovely goal after 93 seconds to give Georgia a lead that they have protected as if it was their first-born. Still a long way to go, and an equaliser would eliminate them, but we could be 45 minutes away from one of the better European Championship fairytales.
45+2 min Neto tries to score from a corner on the right. His connection is pretty good too, but Mamardashvili is well positioned and punches it clear.
45+1 min A crisp daisycutter from Joao Felix, 20 yards out, is confidently held to his left by the falling Mamardashvili. That’s his first save.
Edit: no it’s not! He made one from Palhinha early on, and from Ronaldo. What am I talking about?
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45 min Two minutes of added time.
44 min Pedro Neto is booked for simulation. He’s not impressed, nor is Ronaldo, but replays show it was a terrific bit of refereeing.
Ronaldo waves his hands around in disgust, though not in the referee’s face. He’ll be off if he does that.
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43 min The silkiest of two-touch nutmegs from Joao Felix starts a Portugal move that ends with Palhinha curling wide from 25 yards.
42 min Mamardashvili made 11 saves against the Czech Republic on Saturday. Tonight: nada. Zilch. The square root of sweet bugger all.
Portugal are passing themselves to sleep, never mind Georgia.
41 min Kvaratskhelia lives.
40 min A flailing arm from Danilo catches Kvaratskhelia, who goes down and needs/wants treatment.
39 min Since you asked, as things stand England are playing Slovakia in the last 16. More importantly, Georgia are playing Spain and Portugal will face Slovenia. I think.
38 min This is Georgia’s best spell of the half, certainly their least uncomfortable. It’s not solely Ronaldo’s fault that Portugal are struggling, but they would surely be a much better team with Diogo Jota up front.
36 min: Chance for Georgia! After another lightning break, Kvaratskhelia is fouled 35 yards out on the left wing. He hits a wicked inswinging free-kick that evades everyone and bounces just wide of the far post. One of the players, possibly Gvelesiani, had an excellent headed chance but didn’t make contact with the ball. The free-kick could have gone straight in as well.
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35 min: Fine defending by Gvelesiani! Inacio angles a low pass into Palhinha, 25 yards out. He clips a beautiful reverse pass into the area towards Ronaldo, whose early shot is superbly blocked by the stretching Gvelesiani.
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33 min Georgia keep the ball for a minute or so before Kvaratskhelia hits the side netting from a very tight angle. A minute doesn’t sound a lot but their defenders needed that breather.
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30 min: Just wide from Joao Felix! Conceicao slithers into the area and is well challenged by Lochoshvili. He tries to run the ball out of danger and is tackled, with the ball rollng to Joao Felix 20 yards out. He cracks a lovely left-foot shot that flashes just wide of the near post. Mamardashvili might have had it covered.
28 min Ronaldo is booked for dissent. He complained because Lochoshvili was holding his shirt when that cross from Neto came in. It could easily have been a penalty but Ronaldo needs to be careful, because he’s still waving his arms around.
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28 min Neto’s cross is clawed away by Mamardashvili, coming through a crowd, and Conceicao bounces the rebound into the side netting. Half a chance.
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26 min Play resumes. It’s like a training session, really, and defence is leading attack 1-0.
25 min Kiteishvili is down and needs treatment. He was caught by a forearm to the back by Joao Felix, though it didn’t look too bad.
The break allows us to see another replay of Georgia’s excellent goal. As Ally McCoist says on ITV, the timing and weight of Mikautadze’s through ball was perfect.
23 min Joao Palhinha hits an early shot from 25 yards that is held with authority by Mamardashvili. It was a comfortable save but he radiates assurance in goal, which is vital when your team only have around 25 per cent of the possession.
22 min There’s been a red card in the game between Czech Republic and Turkey. Want to find out who’s about to have a hate bath? Go on, clickity click click click.
21 min Joao Felix’s free-kick is headed wide from a very tight angle by Antonio Silva, who had Ronaldo behind him in a better position. The poor lad isn’t having a great night.
20 min Georgia are defending on the edge of their box, waiting for the moment to win the ball and spring. Ordinarily that approach might invite criticism for negativity, but there’s something infectious about this Georgia team. And when they do win the ball, by heck they go for the throat.
18 min Neto’s lofted cross is headed wide by Dalot, 12 yards out. No sort of chance.
17 min Ronaldo smashes a free-kick that is punched over the bar by Mamardashvili. It was straight at him but a good save because the ball was wobbling all over the place.
KNUCKLE ⤴
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 26, 2024
Giorgi Mamardashvili had to keep an eye on this from Cristiano Ronaldo👀#Euro2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/prGUU2XpJb
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16 min Conceicao is fouled 35 yards from goal. Ronaldo is over the ball…
13 min Loads of harmless, slow possession for Portugal. It’s just like watching E- I guess it’s all credit in the bank, or at least miles in the Goergia defender’s legs, but for now they don’t look like scoring.
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12 min Chakvatadze has a shot blocked after a rare Georgia break. Kakabadze trips Joao Felix and is lucky to avoid a yellow card.
10 min Conceicao tries to run Lochoshvili and ends up on the floor. The referee gives a goalkick and Cristiano Ronaldo wanders over to ask what the eff.
It looks like a dive, though it’s hard to be sure.
8 min As things stand – I know, I know – Portugal will play Slovenia in the last 16 and Georgia will meet Spain.
6 min Portugal are having all of the ball, which was always likely to be the case. That goal was so well taken by Kvaratskhelia; it’s his first in a major tournament, a memory he’ll cherish for the rest of his natural-born days.
4 min And here’s that goal in all its transitional glory.
It's a DREAM start for Georgia! 🇬🇪
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 26, 2024
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia takes full advantage of a terrible Portugal mistake 😳#Euro2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/IIdtXSbUAe
Antonio Silva’s dreadful pass went straight to Mikautadaze on the halfway line. He ran straight at the backpedalling Inacio and angled a through pass to the left for Kvaratskhelia, galloping with intent into the space vacated by Antonio Silva. Kvaratskhelia controlled the ball on the edge of the area, took a beat to compose himself and swept a left-foot shot across Diogo Costa. Lovely finish.
Updated
GOAL! Georgia 1-0 Portugal (Kvaratskhelia 2)
Georgia take the lead after 93 seconds!
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2 min Portugal have started with a back three as expected, with Pedro Neto at left wing-back.
1 min Peep peep! Portugal, in their away kit, kick off from right to left as we watch.
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A reminder of the teams, who are about to take the field.
Georgia (5-3-2) Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Gvelesiani, Kashia, Lochoshvili, Dvali; Chakvetadze, Kochorashvili, Kiteishvili; Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia.
Substitutes: Loria, Kvirkvelia, Zivzivadze, Davitashvili, Kvilitaia, Gugeshashvili, Gocholeishvili, Kvekveskiri, Altunashvili, Shengelia, Mekvabishvili, Tsitaishvili, Lobjanidze, Tabidze, Sigua.
Portugal (possible 3-4-2-1) Costa; Antonio Silva, Danilo, Inacio; Dalot, Joao Palhinha, Joao Neves, Pedro Neto; Francisco Conceicao, Joao Felix; Ronaldo.
Substitutes: Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Pepe, Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Goncalo Ramos, Bernardo Silva, Jose Sa, Matheus Luiz, Ruben Neves, Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo, Jota, Vitinha.
Referee Sandro Scharer (Switzerland)
Updated
On-the-nose mood music
Sorry to drag England into all this, but tonight’s Group F matches will determine who they play on this ground on Sunday. If Georgia or Czech Republic win tonight, England will play Slovakia. If not, it’s the Netherlands.
Read Ben Fisher’s preview
At 74th in the Fifa rankings, Georgia are the lowest‑ranked team at the tournament but, despite playing just 180-odd minutes of predominantly low-rent football in Germany, nobody has enriched the finals more. They have won plenty of friends under Sagnol, who exudes class. There is the brawn of an experienced defence and an endearing Wacky Races feel to their unpredictability and fearlessness in attack.
Team news: Ronaldo starts
Roberto Martinez has changed eight of Portugal’s outfield players from the win over Turkey. I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you which goal fiend starts up front. Joao Palhinha is the other survivor.
Georgia have made four changes of their own. Giorgi Chakvetadze, Luka Lochoshvili, Giorgi Gvelesiani and Otar Kiteishvili come in for Solomon Kvirkvelia, Zuriko Davitashvili, Anzor Mekvabishvili and Giorgi Tsitaishvili.
Georgia (5-3-2) Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Gvelesiani, Kashia, Lochoshvili, Dvali; Chakvetadze, Kochorashvili, Kiteishvili; Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia.
Substitutes: Loria, Kvirkvelia, Zivzivadze, Davitashvili, Kvilitaia, Gugeshashvili, Gocholeishvili, Kvekveskiri, Altunashvili, Shengelia, Mekvabishvili, Tsitaishvili, Lobjanidze, Tabidze, Sigua.
Portugal (possible 3-4-1-2) Costa; Antonio Silva, Danilo, Inacio; Dalot, Joao Palhinha, Joao Neves, Pedro Neto; Francisco Conceicao; Ronaldo, Joao Felix.
Substitutes: Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Pepe, Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Goncalo Ramos, Bernardo Silva, Jose Sa, Matheus Luiz, Ruben Neves, Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo, Jota, Vitinha.
Referee Sandro Scharer (Switzerland)
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Georgia v Portugal in Gelsenkirchen. Happily, after the endless permutations of Group E, this one is pretty simple. Portugal are already through as group winners. Georgia – lovely, life-affirming Georgia – will join them if they win tonight. Anything less and they’ll be going home. But even if that happens, they won’t be forgotten.
In theory it will help Georgia if Portugal do a Spain and rest their first XI, though their depth is such that it might not make much difference. The Portuguese players waiting for a chance include Diogo Jota, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Joao Neves. We’ll have all the team news shortly.
Kick off 8pm.
