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Spain had been nervous at moments towards 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 objective, the eighth of the event (this time from Robin Le Normand).
Spain drew degree with the person for the massive second, Rodri, scoring from simply outdoors the realm. Then their 16-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal arrange Fabian Ruiz to move within the winner. Nico Williams, one other of their main stars to have made them the event favourites, scored a devastating third earlier than Dani Olmo accomplished the win.
The Georgians appeared harmful at occasions, as they’ve all through the event, and can head house 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 objective was scored by Fabian Ruiz, his second of the event, however it was actually all about 16-year-old Lamine Yamal.
First, Yamal had received a free kick on the sting of the Georgia field, taken it himself, and compelled a wonderful save from Mamardashvili. That will have been a disappointment, however as Spain recycled the ball, the Barcelona winger received again into place to obtain a move out extensive.
When his team-mate received the ball, Fabian knew what to do, with the late run in the direction of the again put up. The supply on his left foot was large, whipped simply excessive sufficient to take out the Georgian defenders however with out giving Mamardashvili any likelihood to return 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 objectives 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 just like Yamal’s help for Dani Carvajal’s objective towards Croatia in Spain’s opening sport. We preserve having to remind ourselves that he’s simply 16 years outdated — tonight he turned the youngest participant to look within the knockout rounds of a Euros, taking the report by greater than a yr from Jude Bellingham on the final event.
Nothing appears to faze the Barcelona prodigy, whose technical high quality, determination making and talent to impression video games in key moments is already world class. All that was lacking was a objective 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 staff rather a lot purely due to Yamal’s presence. The sport was pretty wrapped up at 2-1, with Georgia fatiguing and pushing with out really creating something of observe, however they gave area for Spain to use on the counter-attack — which is precisely what they needed to defend from Georgia all sport.
On a person degree, the objective was essential, solely Williams’ third internationally and his first objective since he scored in Spain’s 7-1 win away to Georgia in qualifying. The transfer for the objective, a counter-attack from deep after a misplaced Georgia move, is an underrated facet of Spain’s sport and one typically masked by their obsession for possession. Fabian Ruiz’s move was lengthy, exact and ideal. He was omitted of Spain’s World Cup 2022 squad by Luis Enrique earlier than turning into a key participant underneath 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 outdated). 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 towards the very best goalkeeper in La Liga final season.
Realizing how weak Germany have appeared in transition of their first 4 video games, De la Fuente would possibly effectively lean into these counter-attacking strengths within the quarter-finals.
Liam Tharme
Georgian counters nervous Spain (and result in one other personal objective)
Georgia’s sport plan was the identical because the 2-0 win over Portugal of their closing 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 levels than Georgia (12), which Opta outline as possessions beginning in a staff’s personal half, with not less than 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 towards Spain. Georgia’s first move on the break is at all times ahead and No 9 Mikautadze was, as he so typically is, the hyperlink participant. He dribbled inside then switched extensive to proper wing-back Kakabadze. His early cross was put into the online by Robin Le Normand (underneath stress from Kvaratskhelia) — the eighth personal objective on the event, all scored by totally different groups, and simply three fewer than Euro 2020 (11).
Of their 26 shot-ending sequences this event, 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 very best goalkeeper in La Liga final season (Mamardashvili), Serie A participant of the yr 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 had been beginning to look out of concepts in assault and Georgia appeared to be the extra assured staff.
Given a uncommon likelihood to counter-attack with the Georgia defensive traces not effectively set, Williams raced up the pitch and Pedri discovered him in area 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 move extensive 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 the direction of the Athletic Bilbao winger had been now dashing again within the different path.
Rodri’s neat first contact along with his proper boot pressured 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 rejoice, and the Georgian midfielder was unable to proceed. After the match, Georgia supervisor Willy Sagnol mentioned of the objective: “We misplaced rather a lot in that 20 seconds. There was the objective however we additionally misplaced Kiteishvili, who’s such an essential participant for us.”
In a method it was a easy one-two, with Rodri swapping passes with Williams across the Georgia field. It was accomplished so shortly and cleverly that the area opened up and Spain took benefit to get again degree.
Dermot Corrigan
Kvaratskhelia says goodbye to Euros he lit up
Clearly, a participant extensively 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 event. 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 achieve his mesmerizing finest, however he was good towards Portugal and shone even brighter towards Spain.
Along with his facet in a deep 5-3-2 formation, it was at all times going to be as much as him and his companion in mayhem Mikautadze to supply Georgia’s attacking menace. They usually did.
Whereas the scoreline may not present it, Kvaradona nervous, stretched and threatened Spain all through. It was his arrival, at a fee of knots, that made Robin Le Normand flip the ball into his personal web for Georgia’s opener and he very almost scored the objective of this event — and plenty of others — when he was a yard off beating Unai Simon from the midway line. It was outstanding that he even noticed the chance, not to mention had the dexterity to so almost pull it off.
It was to not be for Kvaratskhelia this night, however at 23, he could have a number of extra probabilities to maintain breaking out at any time when and wherever his staff wants him.
Matt Slater
What did De la Fuente say?
Spain head coach Luis De la Fuente mentioned: “We made lots of probabilities — it may have been 8-1. Sure, there was some pressure within the staff once they scored as a result of we had created so many probabilities of our personal with out scoring. And it was an personal objective. However we calmed down and saved creating probabilities. We had numerous management towards a extremely good staff.
“Aside from a minutes once they scored, we managed the sport. However there have been some classes for us, which is sweet, we’re studying every single day. All of the groups right here may 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 subsequent one is Germany, a footballing energy. I don’t need to offend anybody however I really feel we’ve the very best staff, the very best gamers. Does that imply we’ll win? No, in fact not, however we’ll struggle to win, we’ll compete for it. There are not 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 objective 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 troublesome to speak about only one determination,” Sagnol mentioned. “However if you would like my opinion then sure, it was offside. If Dumfries was offside within the match towards France then this was 10 occasions offside at present. I believe VAR is an excellent evolution in soccer however we don’t use it correctly.
“The selections are taken by the identical individuals, and so they have 10 screens in entrance of them, however they take totally different choices from one match to a different. And that’s the reason gamers and coaches don’t perceive the selections. VAR is a superb invention however perhaps we should always simply wait till we all know use it correctly.”
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(High photograph: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)