Euro 2024: Spain secure quarter-final spot against Germany
Spain 4 - 1 Georgia
Spain secured a highly anticipated quarter-final clash with hosts Germany by overcoming an early own goal to defeat Georgia 4-1 decisively.
Spain and Germany have been standout teams in Euro 2024, and they are now set to face each other in the last eight in Stuttgart.
Georgia briefly looked poised to follow up their remarkable win over Portugal by eliminating the 2008 and 2012 winners. For a brief moment, that appeared possible when Robin Le Normand inadvertently redirected a cross into his own net. Giving Georgia the lead against the run of play.
Spain, having started the game strongly, remained undeterred and continued to challenge Giorgi Mamardashvili's goal with 17 shots in the first half. Their persistence paid off when Rodri equalised with a precise strike.
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia almost restored Georgia's lead with a clever attempt from his own half, but Spain completed their comeback just minutes later. Fabian Ruiz headed in a superb cross from Lamine Yamal.
Heorhiy Tsitaishvili missed Georgia's final opportunity, and Spain capitalised by finishing off their opponents. Nico Williams powered a goal past Mamardashvili after a swift counter-attack. Dani Olmo sealed the victory by calmly placing a fourth goal into the corner, showcasing another impressive performance from Spain.
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There are bigger tests to come but Spain impresses.
Spain’s impeccable group stage performance, winning all three matches without conceding a goal, established them as strong favourites for this knockout tie.
However, they had to show resilience when Georgia upset the balance, scoring against the run of play. Despite this setback, Luis de la Fuente’s team rose to the challenge.
Widely regarded as tournament favourites due to their stellar play so far, Spain reinforced this view with a creative and ruthless second-half display.
Yamal and Williams, both 21, celebrated Spain’s third goal with a joyful dance in the corner, each delivering another thrilling performance.
Substitute Olmo seized his moment to shine, adding his name to the scoresheet after a promising showing in their 1-0 victory over Albania.
Although Georgia tested Spain, the team remained undisturbed by their counter-attacking threat, staying true to their rhythm, and it paid off.
Their quarter-final opponents, Germany, will present the toughest challenge yet, but Spain demonstrated enough quality to sustain their '' status as tournament favourites.
Georgia make friends on their debut major tournament
Georgia leave Germany having earned the respect of their opponents after a fairytale journey to the knockout stages in their first major tournament.
Manager Willy Sagnol, a former Bayern Munich and France full-back, urged his team to show no fear, and they did just that. They attacked Spain’s defence on the counter-attack, dribbling fearlessly and taking risks throughout the match.
Goalkeeper Mamardashvili kept Georgia in the game for over 50 minutes until Ruiz’s header gave Spain the lead, while Napoli’s Kvaratskhelia added a touch of magic to their attack.
The scoreline reflects Spain’s dominance given the number of chances they created, but it perhaps doesn't fully capture Georgia’s flamboyant play and the threat they posed.
