By Anna Italia
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Italian Soccer Serie A

Wed 26  Jun 2024 ‧ UEFA European Championship – Group Stage – Group F

                Georgia 2 – 0 Portugal 

2′ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
57′ Georges Mikautadze (pen)

Georgia won the UEFA EURO 2024 Group Stage Group F Matchday 3 game  on Wednesday 26 June 2024 at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.  Georgia wins 2-0 against Portugal and reaches a historic qualification for the round of 16. Portugal’s first competitive defeat since December 2022 and manager Roberto Martínez’s first competitive defeat.

It is a painless defeat for Portugal who had already qualified as first in the group and will play in the round of 16 on July 1st. For the entire 90 minutes Martínez’s team struggled to create scoring opportunities, looking for crosses that did not create any danger for Georgia’s defence. In injury time Portugal had the best opportunities, first with Semedo and then with Gonçalo Ramos, in both cases finding opposition from Mamardashvili.

Portugal won both matches played in the group stage of EURO 2024, more victories than they achieved in the 2016 and 2020 editions combined (W1, D4, L1). At EURO 2000 alone the Portuguese team achieved three successes in the three group stage matches in a single edition of the tournament.

x.com/EURO2024

Cristiano Ronaldo played 49 matches in the European Championships (27) and World Cups (22) combined. The Portuguese could become the first European player in history to make 50 appearances in major international tournaments (World Cup + European Championship).

😤#EURO2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/e1AlsR9cMD

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024

🇬🇪  Serie A and Serie B Players with Georgia’s EURO 2024 squad

Head Coach:  🇫🇷 Willy Sagnol

•  Defender Luka Lochoshvili (Cremonese) played until the 63rd minute and was replaced by Giorgi Tsitaishvili.
•  Forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli) scored a goal in the 2′ minute, played until the 82nd minute and was replaced by Zuriko Davitashvili

🇵🇹  Serie A Players with Portugal’s EURO 2024 squad

Head Coach:  🇪🇸  Roberto Martínez

• Goalkeeper Rui Patrício (Roma) listed among substitutes
• Forward Rafael Leão (AC Milan) did not play because he received two yellow cards in the previous game and is serving a one-match suspension.

Georgia took the lead with a fast goal in the 2nd minute. Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia defeated Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Georges Mikautadze.

x.com/EURO2024

x.com/EURO2024

What a start for Georgia! 💪#EURO2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/ImbsSlllEj

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024

Mamardashvili 🚫#EURO2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/TXnkxGyekG

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024

✅ Stats before the game: This is only the second ever meeting between Georgia and Portugal: the Portuguese won the first one 2-0 in a friendly in May 2008.
Portugal has qualified for the knockout phase in all nine of its European Championship appearances, extending the best such record (100%) in the history of the competition.
Georgia (1N, 1P) is looking for their first victory in one of the major international tournaments (World Cup + European Championships): the only European team that achieved its first ever victory against Portugal was Greece (2-1 ), at EURO 2004, a tournament later won by the Hellenic team. In the first two days of EURO 2024, Georgia is the team that has conceded the most total shots (49), the most shots on target (20) and which has recorded the highest Expected Goals against value (6.1). However, Giorgi Mamardashvili was the goalkeeper with the most saves (16), as well as being the one who avoided the most goals (3.05) based on the Expected Goals value based on shots conceded on target in the first two matchdays – he conceded four goals (excluding own goals), despite having an xG value against of 7.05. Portugal benefited from an own goal in both matches played at EURO 2024 – only Spain in the 2020 edition had more own goals in their favor in a single European Championship (three); however, no team has ever recorded an own goal for three games in a row in the final phase of the competition.

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Photo via x.com/EURO2024

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📺 Click the video to watch Georgia 2 – 0 Portugal highlights on Saturday 22 June 2024

Georgia official starting lineup

x.com/EURO2024

Portugal official starting lineup

x.com/EURO2024

🇬🇪#EURO2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/pxDDYBmnEZ

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024

Georgia (@en_sscnapoli) forward shaking hands after the end of the game with former @juventusfcen player Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo

🏆👉Result 🇬🇪 Georgia 2 – 0 Portugal 🇵🇹

⚽️Goals: 2′ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 57′ Georges Mikautadze (pen)

✅ https://t.co/RdqUcF50i4 https://t.co/XBYje22x9I

— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) June 26, 2024

🏆👉Result 🇬🇪 Georgia 2 – 0 Portugal 🇵🇹

⚽️Goals: 2′ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 57′ Georges Mikautadze (pen)

✍ Ball Possession: 28% Georgia and 72% @selecaoportugal

✅ https://t.co/RdqUcF50i4@TheCalcioGuys @ZaurriniRino @SerieASitdown #AnnaItalia #ItalianSoccerSerieA https://t.co/eTpbvPn6WD

— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) June 26, 2024

 UEFA EURO 2024
Group F, Matchday 3

🇬🇪 Georgia 2 – 0 Portugal 🇵🇹
Wednesday 26 June 2024
Arena AufSchalke
Gelsenkirchen, Germany

21:00

Referee: Sandro Schärer (SUI)
Assistant referees: Stefan Lupp (GER) and Bekim Zogaj SUI
Fourth official: Mykola Balakin (UKR)
Video Assistant Referee: Fedayi San (SUI)

⚽️ Goals: 2′ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 57′ Georges Mikautadze (pen)

🟨 Booked: Mekvabishvili (G), Ronaldo, Pedro Neto, Neves R. (P)

✅ Official Lineups – Formations – Tabellino:

🇬🇪  Lineup Georgia (3-4-1-2): Mamardashvili; Gvelesiani (75′ Kverkvelia), Kashia, Lokoshvili (63′ Tsitaishvili); Kakabadze, Kochorashvili, Kiteishvili, Dvali; Chakvetadze (81′ Mekvabishvili); Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia (81’Davitashvili).

Subs: Loria, Gugeshashvili, Zivzivadze, Kvilitaia, Gocholeishvili, Kvekveskiri, Altunashvili, Shengelia, Lobjanidze, Tabidze, Sigua.

Coach: Sagnol

 🇵🇹 Lineup Portugal (3-5-2): Diogo Costa; Antonio Silva (66′ Nelson Semedo), Danilo, Inacio; Dalot, Joao Neves (75′ Matheus Nunes), Palinha (46′ Ruben Neves), Francisco Conceiçao, Pedro Neto (75′ Diogo Jota); Ronaldo (66′ Goncalo Ramos), Joao Felix.

Subs: Rui Patricio, José Sa, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo, Vitinha.

Coach: Martinez

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