Monday, December 23, 2024

Georgia v Czech Republic: Euro 2024 – live

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Key events

10 min: Georgia penalty appeal! The impressive Davitashvili gets the wrong side of Krejcl in the area and appears to be pulled down, but the referee waves play on! I’d like to see that again.

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10 min Kvaratskhelia gives the world a quick injection of joy with a lovely piece of skill, lobbing the ball over Coufal and surging down the left.

10 min “Once again, I have to write in with the obligatory ‘Fox can just go feck themselves’ email,” writes Joe Pearson, although he didn’t say feck. “Another 9am game ignored. I hate them so much. But love you, man! Keep up the good work!”

Any port in a storm.

9 min A defensive header is collected on the edge of the area by Schick, whose shot is blocked desperately and brilliantly by Kvirkvelia.

9 min This will not end 0-0.

8 min Play continues to lurch from end to the other. Cerny enquires about a penalty when his shot hits the arm of a defender, but it was right down by his side.

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4 min The lively Davitashvili surges into the area with purpose, forcing Hranac to come across and concede a corner. This is thrilling stuff.

4 min A cross from the left is met by Schick, whose firm header is pushed away by the diving Mamardashvili. Another pretty good save, though you’d expect him to make it.

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3 min: Double save from Mamardashvili! The first chances fall to the Czech Republic. A long throw from the right was allowed to bounce and reach Hlozek, whose low shot was kicked away by Mamardashvili. The ball ricocheted around the area, and then Mamardashvili leapt to paw away Schick’s follow-up shot.

Georgia’s goalie Giorgi Mamardashvili leaps over Tomas Soucek to clear. Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP
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2 min Georgia have made a flying start, an increasingly rare sight these days and therefore even more endearing.

1 min Peep peep! Georgia kick off from right to left as we watch. This could be loads of fun.

The anthems

The Georgia players, some with their eyes closed, are singing their anthem as if it’s the last time they’ll ever have the privilege. As somebody who has never really experienced the joys of patriotism, it’s almost spine-tingling.

Georgia’s two forwards, Georges Mikautadze and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, have both bent hurt in the warm-up. No suggestion yet that they will miss the game, but it’s not exactly ideal preparation.

And this is an equally good piece on the Czech Republic goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek, once of Everton and Hyde United.

This is a really nice piece from earlier in the year on David Webb, Georgia’s assistant manager.

Webb looked to build team spirit by getting players to tell each other personal stories. He talks about playing attacking football, with “calculated risks and passion, desire and intensity”. He talks about bravery and the actor Beth Harmon picturing the chess pieces fall into place in the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit.

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The tournament director Philipp Lahm on Germany’s young guns

[Florian] Wirtz has an excellent first touch, changes pace skilfully and has great positional awareness on the pitch; just see his goal against Scotland.

[Jamal] Musiala is virtually impossible to get off the ball and he can beat an opponent from a standing start. When the opposing teams have parked the bus and lined up their players in front of goal, he is able to find solutions. He was named player of the match in the first game and scored for the second consecutive game against Hungary.

This is the last day of the second round of group games, and also the last of the 2pm kick-offs in this tournament. Life moves pretty fast, eh.

Fans from the Caucasus await their heros. Photograph: Petr Josek/AP
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Team news

One change for Georgia, with Zuriko Davitashvili replacing Giorgi Chakvetadze.

The Czech Republic bring in Adam Hlozek, David Jurasek and Vaclav Cerny for Jan Kuchta, David Doudera and Pavel Sulc.

Georgia (3-5-2) Mamardashvili; Kvirkvelia, Kashia, Dvali; Tsiatishvili, Davitashvili, Mekvabishvili, Kochorashvili, Kakabadze; Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia.

Czech Republic (3-4-3) Stanek; Holes, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Soucek, Provod, D Jurasek; Cerny, Schick, Hlozek.

Referee Daniel Siebert (Germany)

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Preamble

Well that escalated quickly. Georgia and the Czech Republic have only played one game at Euro 2024, and they played pretty darn well too, but they are already at the precipice of a great crossroads. Defeat for either team today would leave them needing snookers reach the last 16.

Georgia were involved the most enjoyable game of the tournament to date, a pulsating 3-1 defeat to Turkey, while the Czech Republic gave Portugal enough of a scare that Cristiano Ronaldo felt compelled to dance on their grave when Francisco Conceicao scored an injury-time winner. Let’s hope for more excitement today.

Kick off 2pm BST.

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