Spain v Georgia LIVE: Euro 2024 result as Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal inspire La Roja into quarter-finals
Spain 4-1 Georgia: La Roja turned on the style after falling behind to set up a mouthwatering quarter-final tie with hosts Germany
Stylish Spain recovered from the shock of conceding an early own goal to eventually overrun a tireless and spirited Georgia 4-1 and surge into a mouthwatering Euro 2024 quarter-final with Germany.
After withstanding a near-constant early assault, with outstanding keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili making several good saves, Georgia stunned the crowd by taking the lead with their first attack after 18 minutes when Otar Kakabadze’s fizzing cross was diverted into his own net by the chest of Spain’s Robin Le Normand.
The Spaniards levelled the last-16 contest through Rodri from the edge of the box in the 39th minute and, after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia almost scored a stunning second from near the halfway line for the tournament outsiders, Fabian Ruiz headed Spain ahead six minutes into the second half.
Spain continued to press and probe but the Georgians ran themselves ragged to keep them at bay until Nico Williams finally broke clear to slam in the third, with Dani Olmo neatly tucking home the fourth goal seven minutes from time to secure their fourth win of the tournament.
Follow all the latest updates from Cologne plus the result and reaction from Gelsenkirchen as England play Slovakia:
Willy Sagnol vows to attack Spain in Euro 2024 last 16 tie
“Against Spain, Portugal, big teams, when you’re Georgia, if you only think about how to defend, you know at some point you will crumble,” he said.
“So no, we are not only going to defend. Like against Portugal, we will show the Spanish team and Europe that we are not only good at defending, but also using the ball.
“We had great moments in possession against Portugal and I hope tomorrow we can see same kind of performance.”
Spain full-back Alejandro Grimaldo ignores favourites talk
“A month ago, we hardly had a chance, people and the press said. Now we’re favourites. This changes quickly,” said left-back Alejandro Grimaldo with a chuckle.
“Being favourites doesn’t help us at all, we don’t want that pressure. We’ve always said we came here to win the Euros and we still have that mentality but we know we have to proceed game-by-game, step-by-step, and for sure big happiness will come.”
Georgian billionaire offers bumper bonus to players for Euro 2024 performance
Georgia's soccer team is in line for an unexpected payday at Euro 2024 after a billionaire former prime minister promised to pay out more than $10 million following its surprise win over Portugal. The Georgian team can double its money with another win over Spain on Sunday in the round of 16.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, who founded the ruling Georgian Dream party and is now its honorary chairman, initially offered the payment of 30 million Georgian lari ($10.7 million) before the tournament on the condition that Georgia reached the knockout stages. It did so after goals from Khvichka Kvaratkhelia and Georges Mikautadze gave Georgia a 2-0 win over a Portugal team led by Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday for one of the biggest shocks at any European Championship.
Ivanishvili confirmed the bonus in a statement carried by Imedi TV on Thursday and said that an equally large sum would be paid out to the team if Georgia beats Spain.
The statement said Ivanishvili "congratulates the Georgian football team on their greatest victory."
Georgia is in a major soccer tournament for the first time and was not widely expected to progress past the group stage in Germany. Georgia's success at the tournament has come against the background of political division at home over a law passed by the Georgian Dream-controlled parliament which opponents say would restrict the media in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million and jeopardize its bid to join the European Union. Following weeks-long protests, the measure was signed into law June 3 when the parliament overrode a presidential veto.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente on Georgia test at Euro 2024
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente promised his side will take nothing for granted in their Euro 2024 last-16 meeting with Georgia in Cologne on Sunday. The sides met twice in qualifying for the finals, with Spain emerging victorious both times, including a 7-1 victory against their unfancied opponents in the Georgian capital Tbilisi.
Since then Willy Sagnol’s side have caused one of biggest upsets of the tournament in Germany by defeating Portugal 2-0 to edge through to the knockout rounds in what is their first major finals. Spain eased through top of their group with a perfect record of three victories, but despite a gap of 66 places between the teams in the FIFA rankings, De la Fuente insisted there will be no complacency from his players as they seek to avoid becoming a second major Georgian scalp.
“We all have seen surprising things happen in football and I don’t think that will stop happening,” he said. “Georgia beat Portugal, we have to respect them as opponents, work hard and take the game with the importance that it has so it doesn’t happen to us.
“They are fast in the counter-attack and very good in the set-pieces. We need to be vigilant and aware so we don’t ended up exposed to counter-attacks at speed.”
“The most important game is always the next one and now a different European Championship starts. We are bracing for a very difficult game and we will go with the best weapons we have to get out with a win.”
History weighs heavily on Georgia's chance of another stunning upset at the European Championship when facing Spain in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Still, after Georgia and its flying winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia beat Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo 2-0 on Wednesday in the group stage, anything seems possible. But Spain has a lot more pedigree than Portugal.
Spain won back-to-back European titles in 2008 and 2012 long before Georgia made its major tournament debut as the lowest-ranked team at Euro 2024. There was the 7-1 rout in Tbilisi last September and the 3-1 beating in Valladolid two months later when they met in Euro 2024 qualifying.
"The 7-1 did teach us a lot of things," Georgia coach Willy Sagnol said. "But we know Spain, very well," Sagnol said. "We played them four times in the last three years. We lost four times and that's just the way it is. But it's a different competition tomorrow."
Euro 2024 top scorers: Golden Boot
3 goals: Georges Mikautadze (Georgia), Jamal Musiala (Germany)
2 goals: Razvan Marin (Romania), Ivan Schranz (Slovakia), Niclas Fullkrug (Germany), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Kai Havertz (Germany)
The unravelling of Luciano Spalletti leaves Italy with huge problems but no solutions
After the ill-fated start to Italy football’s campaign, it was a bizarre end. Were the Azzurri, Luciano Spalletti was asked, a Fiat Panda and Switzerland football a Ferrari? “You have to accept everything, even rather tasteless allusions like yours,” said the Italy manager. “You are clearly a wonderful exponent of sarcasm.” With that, he asked his interrogator’s name, smiled and took his leave.
From Euro 2024 but not, seemingly, from the Azzurri job. Italy’s worst European Championships for 20 years will not prompt Spalletti to resign. Rather, his inquest arrowed in on what he believes the failings are in Italian football, the types of players they do not possess and which they need. He did it while claiming he was not picking on the footballers he believes have produced two sub-par performances in a competition that only brought them one win. “There is no blame to anyone, I want to stress this,” he said. “The responsibility for what happens is mine.”
It was a noble attempt to spare others criticism. Yet there may be a truth: perhaps Spalletti and Italy are a mismatch of an impossible ideal and a relatively prosaic group. Euro 2024 showed a side that was less than the sum of its parts, where they only scored three goals, where the most recent and spectacular of them, from Mattia Zaccagni in the 98th-minute against Croatia, spared them a group-stage exit only to become the first team eliminated in the last 16.
The unravelling of Luciano Spalletti leaves Italy with huge problems but no solutions
The reigning champions crashed out of Euro 2024 against Switzerland with a whimper and now face big questions about their future
Spain’s biggest Euro 2024 challenge is to overcome their own defining trait
Three wins from three and impressive across the board, Spain weren’t just the only nation to pick up the maximum nine points in the group stage at Euro 2024, they were also the only nation to get through those first three fixtures without conceding a single goal.
There’s little doubt that Luis de la Fuente’s team have been one of the most, perhaps the most, impressive early performers at the tournament and that they’ve quickly marked themselves out as the team to beat, but they will now also be looking at their route to the final and acknowledging it’s going to be an extremely tough one.
First, it’s Georgia. The finals debutants have enthralled and enraptured with their gutsy showings, aggressive defensive work and adventurous counter-attacks, have the breakout star of the tournament so far and produced a display of real quality to beat Portugal last time out and book their last-16 spot. Beat them and Spain will potentially face the hosts, Germany; then if that hurdle is navigated it could be the World Cup finalists in France.
Spain’s biggest Euro 2024 challenge is to overcome their own defining trait
La Roja look one of the best sides in Germany - but they’ve shown a fatal flaw previously which has cost them dearly
Jamal Musiala weathers mighty storm but Germany’s real Euro 2024 test is still ahead
On a night of stoppages, Germany almost stumble, but keep going. That was summed up and sealed by Jamal Musiala’s smooth run and finish after a performance that, until then, had so many rough edges. That goal put a sheen on a match that had literally been so muddied, where Germany were somewhat fortunate to turn it all on two big decisions and a controversial Kai Havertz penalty. Just moments after Joachim Andersen had a goal ruled out for a genuine toenail offside, the ball hit his stretched hand for the call that ultimately led the hosts to a 2-0 win.
They had to work their way through a lot, though, including an extreme thunderstorm that saw the game paused for the players’ safety. It was another echo of the 1974 World Cup here, given how heavy rain besieged that tournament too. It remains to be seen whether it will be the same outcome – a German win. A touch of the gloss has gone from that opening win over Scotland, but they have now done that hard part – and it had become much harder than ever thought. This was Germany’s first tournament knockout win since 2016. It’s still the bare minimum expected. They might just have to go to the maximum for a potential quarter-final against Spain.
Jamal Musiala weathers mighty storm but Germany’s real Euro 2024 test is still ahead
Germany 2-0 Denmark: A match briefly suspended by a thunderstorm was eventually won thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Musiala but the hosts must improve if they are to lift the trophy
The secret behind Georgia’s thrilling Euro 2024 ride – and why Spain must beware
As Khvicha Kvaratskhelia attempted to put words to what he’d helped create, with so much joyous feeling swirling around his brain, his thoughts ultimately went to the only place they could. “I’d love to see what’s happening in Tbilisi,” the Georgia playmaker said.
It’s a nice line, of a type that can be said about many smaller countries enjoying a first national moment. Those who attend the tournament actually miss it, because the real event is back home: the parties, the elation. Granted, the thousands of raucous Georgians who made the pilgrimage to Gelsenkirchen for this historic 2-0 win over Portugal won’t be feeling like that, especially after their victorious team insisted on a celebratory photo in front of them.
While Kvaratshkelia and his teammates will now be watching videos from back home, everyone else should want to watch them. That doesn’t just apply to their elated countrymen.
The secret behind Georgia’s thrilling Euro 2024 ride – and why Spain must beware
Willy Sagnol’s team have taken the tournament by storm with their distinct style and enthusiasm with a last-16 tie with Spain to come
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