Georgia picked up its first European Championship point on the second matchday of Group F. In Hamburg, Willy Sagnol's team fought out a flattering 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic.
22.06.2024, 16:58
22.06.2024, 17:31
SDA
In a fast-paced game, the Czechs were clearly closer to victory. In the end, the 26:6 shots on goal were in favour of the 1996 European Championship finalists, but it was the Georgians who almost celebrated after a counter-attack in stoppage time. However, Saba Lobjanidze missed the golden chance miserably.
Apart from this scene, luck was with the Georgians. The video assistant referee was on the side of the underdogs twice. In the 23rd minute, he intervened after the Czechs had supposedly scored the opening goal, as the ball went into the goal off Adam Hlozek's hand. In stoppage time of the first half, he finally intervened after Robin Hranac - who had already scored an own goal in the first match against Portugal - had the ball hit his hand in his own penalty area. After consulting the video footage, referee Daniel Siebert awarded a penalty. Georges Mikautadze converted the penalty with aplomb and turned the game on its head.
The Czechs continued to set the tone in the second half, but without being as determined as in the first half, when Leverkusen's Adam Hlozek and Patrik Schick each missed two top-class chances and were denied by the strong Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. After just under an hour, however, even the 23-year-old was beaten. It was Schick who scored the deserved equalizer from a corner. It was not to be enough more.
Thanks to the point, both teams still have a chance of qualifying for the round of 16 before the final matchday.
Georgia - Czech Republic 1:1 (1:0)
Hamburg. - 46'524 spectators. - SR Siebert (GER). - Goals: 45. Mikautadze (penalty) 1:0. 59. Schick 1:1.
Georgia: Mamardashvili; Kwirkvelia (82nd Gwelesiani), Kashia, Dvali; Tsitaishvili (62nd Loshoshvili); Davitashvili (62nd Chakvetadze), Mekhabishvili, Kochorashvili, Kakabadze; Mikautadze (88th Kvilitaia), Kvaratskhelia (83rd Lobjanidze).
Czech Republic: Stanek; Holes, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Provod (82nd Barak), Soucek, David Jurasek (82nd Sevcik); Cerny (55th Matej Jurasek), Schick (68th Chytil), Hlozek (55th Lingr).
Remarks: 23rd goal by Hlozek disallowed for handball. 59. post shot by Lingr. Cautions: 18 Coufal. 36 Kaschia. 40 Provod, 47 Jurasek, 53 Holes, 81 Soucek, 82 Gwelesiani, 83 Mekhabishvili, 95 Kochorashvili.
