Spain 4 Georgia 1 – Yamal excellent (again), Williams’ wondergoal, exciting Georgia head home

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Spain have been apprehensive at moments in opposition to Georgia however, in the long run, their main stars proved decisive in an excellent efficiency.

They dominated early on, however the Georgians took the lead with their first assault after a flowing transfer, completed off with yet one more Euro 2024 personal purpose, the eighth of the match (this time from Robin Le Normand).

Spain drew stage with the person for the large second, Rodri, scoring from simply exterior the realm. Then their 16-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal arrange Fabian Ruiz to go within the winner. Nico Williams, one other of their main stars to have made them the match favourites, scored a devastating third earlier than Dani Olmo accomplished the win.

The Georgians seemed harmful at instances, as they’ve all through the match, and can head residence having given a wonderful account of themselves in Germany.

Spain now face the hosts, Germany, within the quarter-finals.

Right here, Dermot Corrigan, Matt Slater and Liam Tharme break down the motion.

Yamal is world class already

Spain’s second purpose was scored by Fabian Ruiz, his second of the match, nevertheless it was actually all about 16-year-old Lamine Yamal.

First, Yamal had gained a free kick on the sting of the Georgia field, taken it himself, and compelled a wonderful save from Mamardashvili. That may have been a disappointment, however as Spain recycled the ball, the Barcelona winger obtained again into place to obtain a cross out broad.

When his team-mate obtained the ball, Fabian knew what to do, with the late run in direction of the again put up. The supply on his left foot was great, whipped simply excessive sufficient to take out the Georgian defenders however with out giving Mamardashvili any likelihood to come back off his line to take it. The ball was positioned proper on Fabian’s head, with the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder simply having to use the ultimate contact from point-blank vary.

2 – Lamine Yamal has made two assists for Spain at #EURO2024 (v Croatia and Georgia); the primary teenager to help a number of targets at an version of the UEFA European Championship since Cristiano Ronaldo at EURO 2004 (2). Phenom. pic.twitter.com/1wGdLLJzXJ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 30, 2024

It was much like Yamal’s help for Dani Carvajal’s purpose in opposition to Croatia in Spain’s opening sport. We preserve having to remind ourselves that he’s simply 16 years previous — tonight he turned the youngest participant to seem within the knockout rounds of a Euros, taking the report by greater than a 12 months from Jude Bellingham on the final match.

Nothing appears to faze the Barcelona prodigy, whose technical high quality, determination making and skill to influence video games in key moments is already world class. All that was lacking was a purpose himself — and he got here very shut, with a left-foot roller from the sting of the field.

Dermot Corrigan

Williams’ wondergoal

Nico Williams goes unnoticed within the Spain group loads purely due to Yamal’s presence. The sport was pretty wrapped up at 2-1, with Georgia fatiguing and pushing with out actually creating something of word, however they gave house for Spain to take advantage of on the counter-attack — which is strictly what they needed to defend from Georgia all sport.

On a person stage, the purpose was necessary, solely Williams’ third internationally and his first purpose since he scored in Spain’s 7-1 win away to Georgia in qualifying. The transfer for the purpose, a counter-attack from deep after a misplaced Georgia cross, is an underrated aspect of Spain’s sport and one usually masked by their obsession for possession. Fabian Ruiz’s cross was lengthy, exact and ideal. He was neglected of Spain’s World Cup 2022 squad by Luis Enrique earlier than turning into a key participant below him on the base of midfield in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League run final season. 

21y 354d – Three of the six youngest gamers to attain & help each in a single Euro sport ever are Spanish 🇪🇸(Fabregas in 2008, Ferran Torres in 2021 & Nico Williams in 2024, all of them with 21 years previous). Proactive#EURO2024 #SPAGEO pic.twitter.com/mxPJu76GXT

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) June 30, 2024

Loads of De la Fuente’s success has been including verticality and directness, not that Fabian Ruiz’s ball did all of the work. Williams nonetheless needed to get the one-on-one with a wise dribble and completed excessive in opposition to the perfect goalkeeper in La Liga final season.

Figuring out how weak Germany have seemed in transition of their first 4 video games, De la Fuente may properly lean into these counter-attacking strengths within the quarter-finals.

Liam Tharme

Georgian counters apprehensive Spain (and result in one other personal purpose)

Georgia’s sport plan was the identical because the 2-0 win over Portugal of their last group-stage sport — sit deep, drop right into a 5-3-2, then hit Spain in transition. Solely Germany (17) had extra direct assaults within the group phases than Georgia (12), which Opta outline as possessions beginning in a group’s personal half, with at the least 50 per cent ahead motion, and ending in a shot/contact within the opposition field.

It solely took 13 seconds and three passes to open the scoring in opposition to Spain. Georgia’s first cross on the break is at all times ahead and No 9 Mikautadze was, as he so usually is, the hyperlink participant. He dribbled inside then switched broad to proper wing-back Kakabadze. His early cross was put into the online by Robin Le Normand (below strain from Kvaratskhelia) — the eighth personal purpose on the match, all scored by totally different groups, and simply three fewer than Euro 2020 (11).

Kvarastkhelia celebrates Georgia’s purpose (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)

Of their 26 shot-ending sequences this match, just one has been from a passing sequence of 9 passes or extra. They executed their underdog type excellently, with high quality at each ends of the pitch — the perfect goalkeeper in La Liga final season (Mamardashvili), Serie A participant of the 12 months in 2022-23 (Kvarastkhelia), and Ligue 1’s breakout star of 2023-24 (Mikautadze).

Liam Tharme

Rodri and a easy, well-done one-two

As the sport handed the half-hour mark, Spain have been beginning to look out of concepts in assault and Georgia the extra assured group.

Given a uncommon likelihood to counter-attack with the Georgia defensive strains not properly set, Williams raced up the pitch and Pedri discovered him in house within the field. However the shot (Spain’s sixteenth of the sport already) was too near Mamardashvili, who saved.

Spain recycled the ball although and moved it very cleverly. Pedri discovered Rodri on the fringe of the field. The Man Metropolis midfielder clipped a cross broad to Williams, who managed the ball and weighed up his choices, earlier than threading it straight again to Rodri.

5 Georgia defenders who had moved out in direction of the Athletic Bilbao winger have been now dashing again within the different route.

Rodri’s neat first contact together with his proper boot compelled all of them to twist but once more.

It was an excessive amount of for Keitishvili, who was already limping and couldn’t get shut sufficient as Rodri’s left boot arrowed the ball proper into the underside nook, out of Mamardashvili’s attain. Keitishvili fell to the bottom, Rodri raced off to have fun, and the Georgian midfielder was unable to proceed. After the match, Georgia supervisor Willy Sagnol stated of the purpose: “We misplaced loads in that 20 seconds. There was the purpose however we additionally misplaced Kiteishvili, who’s such an necessary participant for us.”

In a technique it was a easy one-two, with Rodri swapping passes with Williams across the Georgia field. It was executed so shortly and cleverly that the house opened up and Spain took benefit to get again stage.

Rodri finishes off the transfer to equalise for Spain (Stu Forster/Getty Pictures)

Dermot Corrigan

Kvaratskhelia says goodbye to Euros he lit up

Clearly, a participant broadly recognized by the nickname they got as a result of they remind everybody of Maradona can’t be known as a breakout star of this match. He was Serie A’s participant of the season in 2022-23. Kvaratskhelia broke out a while in the past and has been operating freely, inflicting havoc, ever since.

The 23-year-old Napoli star took a few video games in Germany to succeed in his mesmerizing greatest, however he was sensible in opposition to Portugal and shone even brighter in opposition to Spain.

Along with his aspect in a deep 5-3-2 formation, it was at all times going to be as much as him and his associate in mayhem Mikautadze to supply Georgia’s attacking menace. And so they did.

Whereas the scoreline won’t present it, Kvaradona apprehensive, stretched and threatened Spain all through. It was his arrival, at a charge of knots, that made Robin Le Normand flip the ball into his personal internet for Georgia’s opener and he very practically scored the purpose of this match — and plenty of others — when he was a yard off beating Unai Simon from the midway line. It was exceptional that he even noticed the chance, not to mention had the dexterity to so practically pull it off.

It was to not be for Kvaratskhelia this night, however at 23, he can have a number of extra possibilities to maintain breaking out at any time when and wherever his group wants him.

Matt Slater

What did De la Fuente say?

Spain head coach Luis De la Fuente stated: “We made loads of possibilities — it may have been 8-1. Sure, there was some stress within the group once they scored as a result of we had created so many possibilities of our personal with out scoring. And it was an personal purpose. However we calmed down and stored creating possibilities. We had a number of management in opposition to a very good group.

“Other than a minutes once they scored, we managed the sport. However there have been some classes for us, which is sweet, we’re studying day-after-day. All of the groups right here could cause you issues, they’re all good. However we’re prepared for any eventuality and we’ll be higher for it.

“We’re very bold and we’re going from goal to goal. The following one is Germany, a footballing energy. I don’t wish to offend anybody however I really feel we now have the perfect group, the perfect gamers. Does that imply we’ll win? No, in fact not, however we’ll battle to win, we’ll compete for it. There aren’t any ensures however with our high quality, expertise, dedication, we’re assured we are able to do it.”

What did Sagnol say?

Georgia supervisor Willy Sagnol was requested about Rodri’s purpose and whether or not Spain ahead Alvaro Morata was offside for it. Morata moved on the final second because the ball went previous him, and it was checked whether or not his positioning obscured the goalkeeper’s imaginative and prescient of the shot. “It’s tough to speak about only one determination,” Sagnol stated. “However if you need my opinion then sure, it was offside. If Dumfries was offside within the match in opposition to France then this was 10 instances offside right this moment. I believe VAR is a superb evolution in soccer however we don’t use it correctly.

“The selections are taken by the identical folks, they usually have 10 screens in entrance of them, however they take totally different selections from one match to a different. And that’s the reason gamers and coaches don’t perceive the choices. VAR is a superb invention however perhaps we should always simply wait till we all know how you can use it correctly.”

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(Prime picture: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)