Georgia's Historic Euro Triumph Over Portugal
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| Georgia's Historic Euro Triumph Over Portugal |
In a stunning turn of events at the Euro tournament, Georgia clinched a 2-0 victory against Portugal on Wednesday, securing their spot in the knockout stages of their first major competition. This remarkable win was fueled by an early goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and a penalty from Georges Mikautadze.
Despite facing a Portugal team that had already qualified for the next round and featured several second-string players, this victory stands as Georgia's most significant achievement since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The match, played in front of tens of thousands of enthusiastic Georgian fans, marked a seismic upset given the disparity in world rankings—Georgia, ranked 74th, triumphed over the sixth-ranked Portugal, the Euro 2016 champions.
Georgia’s path to the tournament was far from straightforward. After a disappointing fourth-place finish in their qualifiers, they had to win their group in the Euro Nations tournament and then secure a play-off victory against Greece.
Coach Willy Sagnol, a former Bayern Munich and France defender, masterfully guided his team to a third-place finish in Group F, setting up a last-16 showdown with three-time Euro champions Spain. Despite a crushing 7-1 defeat to Spain in the qualifiers last September, Sagnol remains undaunted by the challenge ahead.
This victory also reshaped the tournament's round of 16 matchups: England will face Slovakia, Romania will play the Netherlands, and Portugal will compete against Slovenia. Hungary, despite their efforts, were eliminated from contention.
Georgia’s sensational win began just 93 seconds into the game when Kvaratskhelia capitalized on a careless pass by Antonio Silva, sending a powerful shot past Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Cristiano Ronaldo, one of only three players starting from their previous match, fought hard to become the oldest goal scorer in Euro history at 39 years old. Georgia, who nearly drew with Turkey in their opener but lost 3-1, celebrated a well-deserved victory.
Turkey's Last-16 Berth with a Win Over Czech Republic
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| Turkey |
In another gripping Euro 2024 encounter, Turkey edged out the Czech Republic 2-1, securing a place in the last 16 and sending their opponents home. Goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Cenk Tosun propelled Turkey to victory despite stiff resistance from the 10-man Czech team.
The Czech Republic, who reached the quarter-finals in the last tournament, faced an uphill battle after midfielder Antonin Barak received a second yellow card and was dismissed in the 20th minute. The match ended chaotically with Tomas Chory also receiving a red card during a melee at the final whistle.
Czech coach Ivan Hasek expressed disappointment but refrained from criticizing the referee, who issued 18 cards in total—a new Euros record. Turkey, finishing second behind Portugal in Group F, will now face Austria in the last 16 on July 2 in Leipzig.
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