Spain beat Georgia 4-1 and now faces Germany in the Euro Cup quarterfinals

One of the world’s powerhouses, which arrived with the satisfaction of having won all its previous matches, faced one of the surprises of the Euro Cup, which defeated Portugal on the last day of the group stage and unexpectedly secured a ticket to the knockout stage. The Cologne stadium was the scene of the duel between Spain and Georgia, in what was a new battle between David and Goliath.

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Before the first quarter of an hour, the team led by Luis de la Fuente had already done enough to earn the victory. A monologue played in Giorgi Mamardashvili’s area, in which Fabián Ruiz, Nico Williams, Álvaro Morata, Pedri, Rodri and Lamine Yamal triangulated with luxury and effectiveness to dismantle their rival’s last line. The threat of a goal was constant; but an Iberian misfortune broke all predictions. A quick counterattack by Otar Kakabadze led to a poisonous cross that bounced off Robin Le Normand and unsettled Unai Simón. A surprise as big as the whole of Germany, because it was Willy Sagnol’s team that had opened the scoring.

The spectacle was lived with remarkable intensity. A dizzying duel that went from goal to goal until the team that won the World Cup in South Africa 2010 managed to equalise thanks to the talent of Rodri. The Manchester City midfielder appealed to his exquisite shot to break Mamardashvili’s resistance and seal the 1-1 so that La Furia went into the break more calmly. A blow for Georgia that was accompanied by the muscle injury suffered by Otar Kiteishvili, a key piece in the defensive system who had to be replaced by Sandro Altunashvili.

In the second half, Spain turned the tables thanks to the quality of Lamine Yamal. The young Barcelona star took control of the ball to put La Roja ahead on the scoreboard. He first threatened with a free kick that made the rival goalkeeper shine, but in the next scene he set up Fabián Ruiz so that the PSG midfielder could celebrate the 2-1 and dispel the ghosts of an early elimination. All the sacrifice of the Georgians collapsed when the second half began.

A goal disallowed for a millimetre offside position by Lamine Yamal could have settled the match early. And some unfortunate decisions in the counterattacks proposed by Giorgi Kochorashvili and Georges Mikautadze gave Fabián Ruiz the opportunity to recover in his own half and supply Nico Williams, another of the standouts who was rewarded. The Athletic Bilbao star was in charge of confirming the Spanish victory after a notable appearance on the left flank that left Mamardashvili without answers. With the score at 3-1, the coaches decided to give minutes to several players who were not as consistent, such as Mikel Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo. Precisely, the virtuoso Leipzig midfielder was the one who transformed the victory into a rout with a display of class that extended to 4-1.

Spain will have a tough match against the host country, Germany, in the next phase. It will be a duel of candidates that will also mark the different styles of the strategists. For Georgia, on the other hand, it was a worthy farewell. Although the heavy result caused great pain, Willy Sagnol’s men withdrew from the competition with the satisfaction of having scared La Furia and beaten Portugal. The general applause for the production of their players marked the end of a stage full of sacrifice and humility.