Spain vs Georgia
Despite sitting in fourth place in Group A, Georgia can still qualify for Euro 2024, but only via the UEFA Nations League C playoff path, and getting another positive result on Sunday would surely help their cause.
After a shaky start in the group stage, Georgia have gained some momentum with wins over Thailand (friendly) and Cyprus, and they managed to hold the second-seeded Scotland in a 2-2 draw earlier today.
Willy Sagnol’s boys’ confidence is high at the moment, but that may not be enough against Spain, who are arguably the best team in their group.
With six wins and one loss, including a five-game winning streak, Luis de la Fuente’s team has taken the top spot in Group A. But with Scotland lurking, they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas when they host Georgia.
Talking Points
Yamal providing the spark for Spain
Lamine Yamal now has two goals in his last three outings in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, which is quite impressive for a guy who just turned 16 years old not too long ago.
After scoring the final goal in Spain’s thrashing of Georgia in September, Yamal was on target once again in their 3-1 victory against Cyprus earlier today, as Joselu’s ball found its way to the Barca youngster for a clinical finish in the penalty area during the fifth minute.
Mikel Oyarzabal and Joselu added two more goals for La Roja, while Kostas Pileas’ goal in the 75th minute for Cyprus was too late to impact the result.
Because of his fine performances lately, it’s safe to say that Yamal is now an integral cog for Barcelona and Spain. The La Masia graduate is far from a finished article, but his seemingly unlimited potential is undeniable, as he seems to have been reaching new milestones every game.
With Yamal taking over up front, this meant that head coach Luis de la Fuente was afforded the opportunity to rest the likes of Alvaro Morata and Ferran Torres, who have combined for six goals in this competition thus far.
We won’t be surprised if Yamal gets to start again, but this time alongside Morata and Torres. The three of them should be able to put up new entries in the Euro 2024 highlights reel on Sunday night at Jose Zorilla.
Kvaratskhelia needs help
My SBOTOP colleague first referred to Georgia as a dark horse squad in Group A, but they will face a more difficult path to qualify for the Euros in Germany the following year, as Scotland and Norway are presently ahead of them.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who won the Serie A Player of the Year last season because of his contributions to Napoli’s Scudetto run, has done his part with three goals in the qualifiers (including a brace against Scotland today). But unfortunately, that’s not enough for the Crusaders.
So who’s capable of supporting Kvaratskhelia in the final third? Judging by the Crusaders’ recent performances, the obvious candidate is Georges Mikautadze, a 22-year-old striker who’s currently at Ajax.
Despite not having enough playing time at Ajax, Mikautadze’s form has not dipped at all. In his last eight appearances for Georgia, he has scored seven goals, including a four-goal performance against Thailand in an international friendly.
History
The Euro 2024 odds do not make a good reading for Georgia at all since Spain have dealt them some of their worst losses in recent memory.
That includes a 7-1 drubbing in their previous meeting, where Alvaro Morata recorded a hat-trick, while Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, and Lamine Yamal scored for Spain, while Solomon Kvirkvelia had an unfortunate own goal.
Watford midfielder Giorgi Chakavetadze scored the consolation goal for Georgia to avoid a clean sheet.
Before that, Georgia also lost 4-0 to Spain during the World Cup qualifiers in September 2021. Jose Gaya, Carlos Soler, and Ferran Torres all found the back of the net in the first half, while Pablo Sarabia added another one for good measure during the 63rd minute.
Georgia’s only win against Spain across all competitions was a 1-0 result during an international friendly before Euro 2016. Tornike Okriashvili’s goal in the 40th minute was responsible for ending Spain’s 11-game unbeaten streak.
At the time, it was considered a major upset because Georgia (137th in the FIFA men’s rankings) were 131 places below Spain’s star-studded roster.
Georgia have yet to qualify for the Euros since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. On the other hand, Spain are three-time European champions (1964, 2008, and 2012), and they finished third in the 2020 edition.
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