Tuesday Under-21 EURO round-up: Georgia and Portugal march on, Spain win group

Co-hosts Georgia reached the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship quarter-finals as group winners thanks to a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. They will be joined in the last eight by Portugal, who left it late to eliminate Belgium.

Meanwhile, in the meeting of the already-qualified top two in Group B, Spain drew 2-2 with Ukraine to claim the summit.

Zuriko Davitashvili scored a sensational solo goal as Georgia remained unbeaten and won the group by drawing against a Netherlands side eliminated in third place. After Kenneth Taylor twice hit the post with early headers for the Oranje, Davitashvili ended a run from near the halfway line by dancing through a crowd of players on the edge of the penalty area and coolly slotting in the 42nd-minute opener.

Taylor drilled in a fine equaliser on the stroke of half-time, but a determined defensive display by the co-hosts ensured their opponents will miss the knockout stages for the first time in five finals appearances.

Player of the Match: Zuriko Davitashvili (Georgia)

Key stat: Georgia are the first host nation to reach the knockout phase at the U21 finals since Sweden in 2009.

Portugal set up a quarter-final tie with England as captain Tiago Dantas' late penalty secured a nervy success against Belgium. The skipper, whose side needed to win and hope co-hosts Georgia avoided defeat against the Netherlands, kept his cool to power home his 89th-minute spot kick, after Zeno Debast had fouled Henrique Araújo.

Belgium had looked the likelier of the two sides to take second spot in Group A when Yorbe Vertessen's header cancelled out João Neves' crisp volley 11 minutes after half-time, shortly after the forward had come off the bench.

Player of the Match: Pedro Neto (Portugal)

Key stat: Portugal have now won seven of their eight final group stage matches at the U21 finals.

These sides were unable to end their Group B campaign on a high after an entertaining goalless draw in Bucharest, where both goalkeepers shone. Croatia's Ivor Pandur produced a one-handed stop to deny Octavian Popescu midway through the first half, before his opposite number Ștefan Târnovanu produced an excellent double save to deny Martin Baturina and Dion Drena Beljo, with Gabriel Vidović volleying against the bar from the follow-up.

Player of the Match Târnovanu continued to shine after the break, frustrating Matija Frigan and Michele Šego as Croatia pushed for a late winner.

Player of the Match: Ștefan Târnovanu (Romania)

Key stat: This was Croatia's first clean sheet in 14 U21 finals matches.

Spain claimed first place in Group B thanks to a 90th-minute strike by substitute Abel Ruiz. Ukraine had taken a first-half lead through Bohdan Viunnyk's header following Oleksandr Nazarenko's run and cross, before an own goal by Ivan Zhelizko brought Spain level early in the second half, the midfielder unfortunate as Oleskandr Syrota's attempted clearance hit him and rebounded in after a low cross by Rodrigo Riquelme.

Ukraine thought they had secured top spot after Spain substitute goalkeeper Leo Román was adjudged to have fouled Danylo Sikan, with Georgiy Sudakov converting the resulting spot kick. Ruiz's reply ensured they finished second, however.

Player of the Match: Oleksandr Nazarenko (Ukraine)

Key stat: Ukraine have reached the knockout stage for the first time since their debut in 2006, when they went on to reach the final.