Georgia certified for Euro 2024 due to a 4-2 shootout win over Greece after a tense playoff ultimate ended 0-0 following additional time on Tuesday to achieve their first main match.
Georgia’s Nika Kvekveskiri transformed his spot kick after Greece’s Giorgos Giakoumakis put his penalty vast to ship the house crowd wild as their aspect edged by way of to the finals.
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Georgia will probably be in Group F alongside Portugal, Turkey and Czech Republic on the Euros in Germany which start on June 14.
Giorgi Mamardashvili saved Greece’s first effort from Anastasios Bakasetas after the hosts had taken the lead within the shootout however Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze missed his spot kick to offer the Greeks renewed hope.
Nevertheless, Giakoumakis despatched Greece’s fourth penalty previous the publish to go away Georgia’s Kvekveskiri because the hero when he saved his cool and squeezed his right-foot kick into the web.
“Some didn’t imagine in us however now they’ll imagine it. We’re comfortable. I’ve by no means had such an emotion in my life,” Georgia talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia informed 1TV Sport.
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The house crowd loved watched Georgia beat Luxembourg 2-0 within the playoff semifinal final Thursday however had been made to endure by way of Tuesday’s shootout earlier than celebrating as by no means earlier than.
Supervisor Willy Sagnol made one change from the Luxembourg win, with key ahead Kvaratskhelia coming back from suspension, whereas Greece’s Gus Poyet named the identical aspect after the 5-0 thrashing of Kazakhstan of their semi-final.
The sport was a scrappy, nervy affair, with probabilities in regular time few and much between. Tempers flared on the stroke of halftime as each benches spilled onto the pitch with Georgia’s substitute keeper Giorgi Loria proven a pink card.
Fouls on Kvaratskhelia led to 3 bookings for Greek defenders within the first half however the influential ahead went off injured in additional time and will solely watch from the sidelines as his crew mates triumphed within the shootout.
The sport got here to life near the top of the opening interval of additional time, with Georgia keeper Mamardashvili getting right down to push away a shot from Bakasetas and Greece’s Konstantinos Mavropanos hitting the bar with a header.
Georgia then had the prospect to grab a winner when Georges Mikautadze handed to Zuriko Davitashvili on the fringe of the six- yard field however his close-range effort was saved by Odysseas Vlachodimos and penalties appeared inevitable.
The optimistic residence crowd displayed a banner earlier than the sport which learn “Breaking information, Georgia make historical past” and, ultimately, they might wave it proudly when Kvekveskiri’s decisive penalty hit the again of the web to ship their crew to Germany.
Georgia misplaced a playoff for Euro 2020 additionally in Tbilisi in opposition to North Macedonia however this time the delirious residence supporters had been on the pitch celebrating as their aspect lastly made it to a serious finals on the fifteenth try.
“Due to the Georgian followers,” Kvaratskhelia stated. “I’ve performed in lots of stadiums however I have never seen such help wherever. You had been crucial issue.”
Greece had been European champions in 2004 however their final look in a serious match was on the 2014 World Cup. They’ve now didn’t qualify for the final two World Cup tournaments and three European Championships.