Portugal had already booked their ticket and all but guaranteed top spot in Group F. However, they paid a high price for the eight changes they made for the last game, and despite not changing their position, Cristiano Ronaldo was left very frustrated by the 2-0 defeat against Georgia.
Georgian striker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (left) was one of the goalscorers and took the opportunity to recognise the work of Cristiano Ronaldo despite Portugal’s defeat. (From uefa.com)
The Georgian does not care about Ronaldo’s discomfort due to his lack of goals so far at the 2024 European Championship in Germany and the poor performance of the Portuguese in spare parts. What matters for this humble team is that it gave a pleasant surprise and entered the next stage as one of the best third parties.
Georgia defied all predictions and recovered after losing 3-1 to Turkey in the first match and drawing 1-1 with the Czech Republic. The victory over Portugal completed one of the great feats of this European Championship.
Hvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the first goal against Portugal in the 2nd minute, while George Mikautadze sealed the victory in the 57th minute.
In the round of 16, Georgia will play against Spain and Portugal will play against Slovenia.
In another match in Group F, Turkey beat the Czech Republic 2-1. The Turks took second place with goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Cenk Tosun. Tomas Soucek scored but it was of little use.
The Czech Republic and Turkey had a fierce match, and in the end two Czech players were sent off and the Turkish team won. (From uefa.com)
Turkey will face Austria in the round of 16. Austria unexpectedly won first place in Group D, ahead of France and the Netherlands.
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