Georgia vs Belgium facts

The second round of Group A games at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship brings together Georgia and Belgium at the Paichadze Stadium in Tbilisi with the co-hosts looking to build on an impressive opening victory.

Georgia are the early pacesetters in Group A after claiming a 2-0 victory against Portugal in their first ever finals match thanks to first-half strikes from Giorgi Gagua (37) and Saba Sazonov (45), Giorgi Tsitaishvili setting up both goals. Belgium are two points back after opening with a 0-0 draw against neighbours the Netherlands.

While Georgia – who are staging the tournament alongside Romania – are making their finals debut, Belgium have qualified for the fourth time although only once, in 2007, have they progressed beyond the group stage.

Previous meetings

This is the sides' first ever meeting at U21 level.

Substitute Michel-Ange Balikwisha scored Belgium's consolation goal in a 3-1 U17 friendly defeat by Georgia in Minsk on 27 January 2018.

Although this is the sides' first U21 fixture, each has recorded two victories against the other in European U19 Championship qualifying – including a 1-0 Belgium win in October 2002 in the only previous game played in Tbilisi – while at U17 level it is one draw and one Belgium win in competitive games.

Form guide

Georgia

This is Georgia's first appearance in the U21 finals; they are the 32nd team to feature since the final tournament was introduced in 1994.

The co-hosts are the only team to be making their debut in the 2023 tournament.

All 14 of Georgia's previous U21 campaigns have ended in the qualifying group stage. Their most successful came in the 1998 preliminaries, when they won three of their eight fixtures, losing only two, and came second behind England in their section, finishing ahead of Italy, Poland and Moldova.

In 2021 qualifying Georgia finished third in Group 2 behind France and Switzerland, winning five of their ten matches but losing the other five.

Although this is Georgia's first U21 appearance, they featured in the U19 finals in 2013 and, as hosts, in 2017, and have also taken part in two U17 tournaments, most recently reaching the semi-finals in 2012.

Belgium

This is Belgium's fourth appearance in the U21 final tournament, and a first since 2019, when they lost all three games to finish bottom of Group A behind Spain, Italy and Poland, scoring four goals but conceding eight.

Belgium also bowed out in the group stage on debut in 2002, their best performance coming five years later in the Netherlands where they reached the semi-finals before losing to Serbia.

This time round Jacky Mathijssen's side remained unbeaten to finish first in Group I on 20 points, three ahead of Denmark. Belgium won six of their eight games, scoring 14 goals, conceding only two and keeping six clean sheets.

Belgium were the first of the 14 teams who came through qualifying to book their place at the finals, thanks to a 1-1 draw against Denmark in their penultimate fixture on 29 March 2022.

Loïs Openda was the team's top scorer in qualifying with seven goals, putting him joint second in the overall rankings for the 2023 preliminaries. He scored at least once against all four Group I opponents and is now Belgium's all-time top scorer at U21 level with 13 goals, one more than Kevin Vandenbergh (2003–05).

The draw against the Netherlands ended Belgium's four-game losing run at the U21 final tournament. They remain without a win in six matches (D2 L4), since defeating Israel 1-0 with a Kevin Mirallas goal on Matchday 2 in 2007.