One of the most exhilarating and watchable games from the first round of Euro 2024 matches was that involving Georgia, the debutant nation who gave it everything and came within a whisker of taking a point from Türkiye – before a late breakaway goal left the match going 3-1 against them. It means two things: One, they know they can compete with the teams in their group and two, it probably all rests on this next encounter, as Portugal will naturally be a stronger opponent in attacking terms, if nothing else.
By Karl Matchett
Despite their eventual defeat, Georgia will be hugely heartened by the fact they played to their strengths and created no fewer than five big chances in the game – Georges Mikautadze was a threat throughout, Giorgi Kochorashvili was a non-stop dynamo in midfield, and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili showed his qualities too. All this, and their top player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia not having his best day at the office suggests there’s more to come. They’ll need to sharpen up in terms of passing through midfield perhaps, unless they plan to make it another basketball, end-to-end, whoever shoots best wins type of encounter.
The Czechs have reason for hope themselves too, though, after very nearly keeping Portugal at bay for a positive result. They were a little reductive and spent large spells of the match in a defensive shape behind the ball, but perhaps needs-must was the thinking after they took the lead in that game.
Their goal was a spectacular one, but it underlines their lack of creativity and attacking intent otherwise: just 0.43 xG from their opening game, no corners, no big chances created. Ultimately that was costly and there’s no margin for error of the type they made against Portugal, an own goal which was really the goalkeeper, Jindřich Staněk’s, fault, before another error in the final seconds.
Despite a backs-to-the-wall showing the Czechs couldn’t even argue they came out on top defensively, with only David Douděra (71%) winning more than half his ground duels and right-back Vladimír Coufal dribbled past twice. Given that’s the flank Kvaratskhelia is likely to start from, he’ll need to improve in particular.
All this combines to make this fixture a definite must-win for both nations, if they hope to reach the last 16, which should make for a fascinating encounter – and it’s Georgia, at their first-ever major tournament, who probably enter the match in better confidence and with a gameplan which looks capable of working.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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