Georgia and Czechia shared the points (1-1) this Saturday on the second day of Group F of the Euro 2024 in Germany, in a duel in which the Caucasus team, supported by a stellar Giorgi Mamardashvili, took the lead from the penalty spot before the break and that the Central Europeans equalized shortly after the contest restarted through Patrik Schick, who ended up injured. The countless saves by the Valencia goalkeeper stopped a Czech team that was upset but found no reward and could only stop the blow by neutralizing the Georgian goal. Furthermore, Willy Sagnol’s team, in the last play, could have taken the three points, but Saba Lobzhanidze, alone against the rival goalkeeper, sent the ball into the clouds. In this way, both teams are left with only one point in Group F, led by Turkey and Portugal (3). They will reach the last day with options to advance to the round of 16 but with the obligation to win two tough matches. At the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, the Czech team found no reward for its offensive first half. He arrived with danger, but failed to convert his chances, largely due to the success of a huge Mamardashvili. The Valencia goalkeeper came up big to stop, already in the 2nd minute, a double chance for the Central Europeans, first in a cross shot by Adam Hlozek and then with a hand on the rebound. The Bayer Leverkusen striker continued to insist and managed to overcome the Georgian wall in the 22nd minute, although the play was annulled; Mamardashvili saved his first shot, but on the rebound, the ball bounced off his face and then into his hand before finding its way into the back of the net. Vaclav Cerny, after a double wall, tested ‘Che’ goalkeeper again, attentive to thwart his shot and also Hlozek’s just two minutes later. In the middle of the siege of Ivan Hasek’s team, the Caucasus team scored. In extra time of the first half, Jindrich Stanek stuck out his foot to stop a point-blank shot by Guram Kashia after a free kick, but the referee awarded a penalty for a handball by Robin Hranac. Georges Mikautadze, scorer of the Georgian goal in the debut against Turkey, stood in the eleven meters and deceived the Czech goalkeeper to make it 1-0 just before the break, which was reached with another save by Mamardashvili against Patrik Schick. The Leverkusen attacker was able to make amends as soon as the match restarted, after a clear chance by Anzor Mekvabishvili that touched the post; Ondrej Lingr, who had just entered the field of play, finished off a corner kick at the near post, and Schick caught the rebound to equalize the contest (min.59). However, less than ten minutes later he had to leave the field limping. The goal spurred Czechia, who relentlessly laid siege to the rival area, although it was Georgia that, in the last minute of the match, had the clearest chance. On the last play, Lobzhanidze stood in front of Stanek and incomprehensibly sent his shot high. With this, the two teams added their first points in a group dominated by Türkiye and Portugal. DATA SHEET. –RESULT: GEORGIA, 1 – CZECH REPUBLIC, 1 (1-0, at halftime). –ALIGNMENTS. GEORGIA: Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Kverkvelia (Lobjanidze, min.82), Kashia, Dvali, Tsitaishvili (Lochoshvili, min.62); Kochorashvili, Mekvabishvili, Davitashvili (Chakvetadze, min.62); Mikautadze (Kvilitaia, min.88) and Kvaratskhelia (Lobjanidze, min.82). CZECH REPUBLIC: Stanek; Coufal, Holes, Hranac, Krejci, Jurasek (Sevcik, min.81); Soucek, Provod (Barak, min.81); Cerny (Jurasek, min.55); Schick (Chytil, min.68) and Hlozek (Lingr, min.55). –GOALS: 1-0, min.45+4: Mikautadze, penalty. 1-1, min.59: Schick. –REFEREE: Daniel Siebert (GER). He cautioned Coufal (min.18), Provod (min.40), Holes (min.53) and Soucek (min.81) for Czechia and Kashia (min.36), Gvelesiani (min.82) , to Mekvabishvili (min.83) and Kochorashvili (min.95) by Georgia. –STADIUM: Hamburg Volksparkstadion.
