The clear underdog Georgia reached the round of 16 with a historic victory against Portugal’s B team in their first European Championship appearance. Coach Willy Sagnol’s team deservedly defeated the 2016 European champions, including world star Cristiano Ronaldo, 2-0 (1-0) thanks to a courageous performance.
Chwisha Kwaratschelia (2nd minute) and Georges Mikautadze (57th minute/penalty) made themselves football heroes in their homeland with their goals on Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen. For Georgia it was the first victory at a European Championship. “I am very happy today. We did it,” said goalscorer Kwaratschelia, who was named player of the match. “I told everyone that we can do it. We are a top team and can fight like lions against any opponent.”
Portugal had already been confirmed as group winners before the match. With a significantly changed starting eleven, the Iberians were unable to match their previous tournament performances. In the round of 16, the Portuguese will play against Slovenia in Frankfurt am Main on Monday.
Georgian lightning start
Of Portugal’s starting eleven from the 3-0 win against Turkey four days earlier, only goalkeeper Diogo Costa, European Championship record player Ronaldo and midfielder João Palhinha were in the starting lineup this time. It was noticeable. The team, which had been changed in eight positions, got off to a very bad start.
In order to display external content, your revocable consent is required. Personal data may be processed by third-party platforms (possibly USA). More information .
Enable external content
Mikautadze played Kwaratschelia free with a precise pass and the star of the Georgian team from SSC Naples scored the 1-0 goal after 91 seconds. Sliding on his knees, the 23-year-old was celebrated by the Georgian fans. In front of the coach’s bench, the coaches threw their arms around the neck of the former Bayern footballer Sagnol.
With the lead behind them, the Georgians retreated and tried to switch quickly after winning the ball. Portugal took control of the midfield, but found little way to get past the opponent’s well-organized five-man defense. Ronaldo had the first chance to score, tellingly, from a free kick. The 39-year-old shot was powerful, but too poorly placed to seriously challenge the well-positioned Giorgi Mamardashvili in the Georgian goal.
João Félix and Ronaldo had further opportunities for the favorites. However, Félix did not aim accurately enough and Ronaldo’s shot was blocked at the last moment. On the other side, Georgia were dangerous in transition moments. The Portuguese were unable to get a handle on the very agile Kwaratschelia, who was by far his best performance of the tournament. The highly talented attacker scored a goal right from the start. “I always dreamed of playing against Cristiano Ronaldo,” Kwaratschelia said before the match.
The two players with the number seven remained the main protagonists after the break. First, a deflected attempt by Ronaldo landed on the net, then Kwaratschelia missed his second goal because he didn’t hit the ball properly.
Striker Mikautadze did better from the penalty spot. António Silva brought down Luka Lotschoshwili in the penalty area with a kick, and according to the video images, Swiss referee Sandro Schärer rightly awarded a penalty. For the 23-year-old Mikautadze, it was already the third goal at this European Championship – the second from the penalty spot.
Ronaldo’s game was over shortly afterwards. When he was substituted, the five-time Champions League winner made no secret of his anger. He left the pitch visibly dissatisfied. His next chance to score at his sixth European Championship is in the round of 16.
