Georgia, playing in their first major tournament, had to deal with intense pressure from Spain early on, but stunned those in attendance at Cologne Stadium when they took an unanticipated lead after 18 minutes.
Spain defender Robin le Normand deflected Otar Kakabadze’s looping cross into his own net, capping off an enormous counter-attack and silencing fans behind the goal. Substitutes warming up dashed over to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who led Georgia’s celebrations from the corner. It instilled confidence in Georgia, but Spain’s pressure paid off when Manchester City’s Rodri drilled the ball into the bottom corner, beating goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who had another outstanding game.
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Bigger test to come but Spain continues to impress
Spain continued to impress in attack, stringing together numerous chances and capitalizing when Fabian Ruiz nodded in a pass from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. Georgia fought on, and Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia could have scored the tournament’s winning goal.
Despite Georgia’s flair and volatility, Spain’s accomplished possession game took control, with Nico Williams striking powerfully into the top corner of the net to make it 3-1, and Dani Olmo’s precise finish sealing the victory. Spain faces European giants and home favourites Germany in Stuttgart on Friday, while Georgia exits the competition after a fairytale run that far exceeded expectations. Spain’s perfect record in the group stages – winning all three games without conceding a goal – made them clear favourites for this knockout round.
