Spain 4-1 Georgia: Resilient La Roja fight back to reach quarter-finals

Spain's perfect campaign continued as they overcame a courageous Georgia team to set up a UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final against hosts Germany on Friday.

Match in brief: Spain keep it perfect

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia appreciates Lasha Dvali's delivery for the opening goalAFP via Getty Images

Spain's early efforts came mostly down the left as they played through the quick-footed Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal – the youngest player to make a EURO knockout round appearance aged 16 years and 353 days.

Georgia were set up deep and compact and as Spain edged closer and closer, it wasn’t long before Giorgi Mamardashvili was tested by Dani Carvajal’s downward header.

One-way traffic ensued until, against the run of play, Willy Sagnol's side launched a surging counterattack. As the red shirts scrambled back, Lasha Dvali's searching cross from the right wing seemed destined to find the arriving Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but Robin Le Normand made contact first to turn into his own net on 18 minutes – the first goal La Roja had conceded at EURO 2024.

Rodri celebrates his equaliserUEFA via Getty Images

Spain were shaken. Speculative attempts from distance followed as they sought to recover, but the high pressing from Luis de la Fuente's men was also leaving them exposed to a rapid Georgia team growing in confidence.

In the 39th minute, however, Spain finally made a breakthrough. Rodri capped a well-worked combination to find the bottom corner with a low left-footed drive from the edge of the penalty area.

Fabián Ruiz scored his second goal of EURO 2024AFP via Getty Images

An audacious Kvaratskhelia lob notwithstanding, Spain pushed the tournament debutants back in the second half, winning a free-kick just outside the box. Mamardashvili blocked Yamal's initial effort, yet Spain recycled possession, and this time Yamal picked out Fabián Ruiz to glance home.

The two-time champions began to slow the tempo although this brave Georgia outfit continued to make frequent raids. However, with more space available, Williams cut in decisively from the left to coolly curl home La Roja's third goal, before substitute Dani Olmo fired an 83rd-minute fourth to add sheen to the scoreline.

Olmo netted Spain's fourth goalAFP via Getty Images

Vivo Player of the Match: Rodri (Spain)

Once again he was a key player for Spain. A real leader without the ball, he was both commanding and organising his team. Rodri was very good in possession and even scored a goal.
UEFA Technical Observer panel

Graham Hunter, Spain reporter

Some wonderful football here. Kudos to Georgia who played so intelligently and athletically. But Spain, when pushed, found attitude, solutions and, above all, some moments of proper footballing magic. Some choice for the technical experts picking a best player from Williams, Yamal, Ruiz and that man Rodri. Spain march on.

Vakhtang Bzikadze, Georgia reporter

Despite their exit, the Georgia fans can be proud of this team. True, they were not as good as Spain, but for long period they matched their quality. An amazing first EURO for Georgia!

Williams celebrates his 75th-minute strikeAFP via Getty Images

Reaction

Nico Williams, Spain forward: "To have a player like Fabián Ruiz serving me passes like the one for my goal is like a thousand blessings. Marvellous. To score a goal like that felt fantastic. I feel like my parents can be proud!"

Luis de la Fuente, Spain coach: "[My half-time] message was the same as I'd been telling them throughout the first half. Calm, no anxiety, no stressed decisions. I wanted them to seek the right moments to attack, to seek some calm in the match. I saw some anxiety growing when we didn't score, which can lead to negative tension, and I wanted them to get that out of their heads."

Giorgi Kochorashvili, Georgia midfielder: "The next generation are looking to us, we need to keep improving. The team have become a family and we'll miss each other now we're leaving. But we will come back stronger and bring more success to our country."

Guram Kashia, Georgia captain: "It was an amazing adventure for us. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved. It wasn't the result we wanted today, but we're really proud of how we represented our country."

Key stats

Yamal broke appearance recordGetty Images

• Spain have won seven of the last eight meetings between the teams. Georgia's sole victory was a 1-0 friendly win in 2016.
• Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Spain have lost only two of their last 26 EURO matches (W17 D7).
• Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Spain have not lost any of their last ten EURO matches (W6 D4).
• Georgia have only failed to score in one of their last 13 international fixtures.
• Twenty-five of Spain's squad of 26 players have made an appearance at EURO 2024 – only goalkeeper Álex Remiro is yet to play.
• Nico Williams is the second-youngest player to score in a EURO knockout round match for Spain, aged 21 years and 354 days – breaking the previous record held by Ferran Torres (21 years and 119 days at EURO 2020).

Line-ups

Spain: Unai Simón; Carvajal (Navas 81), Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella (Grimaldo 66); Pedri (Olmo 52), Rodri, Fabián Ruiz (Merino 81); Yamal, Morata (Oyarzabal 66), Williams

Georgia: Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Gvelesiani (Kvekveskiri 78), Kashia, Dvali, Lochoshvili (Tsitaishvili 63); Chakvetadze (Davitashvili 63), Kiteishvili (Altunashvili 41), Kochorashvili; Mikautadze (Zivzivadze 78), Kvaratskhelia