Georgia vs Portugal LIVE RESULT: Mikautadze & Kvaratskhelia STUN Ronaldo and Co to reach last 16 – latest
GEORGIA stunned the rest of Europe to reach the last 16 of Euro 2024.
The football minnows - ranked 74 in the world - needed to beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, who had looked like one of the best sides at Euro 2024 so far, scoring six goals in two games.
It only took Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 90 seconds to score the opener before Georges Mikautadze slotted home a penalty to put Georgia in dream land.
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- Georgia team: Mamardashvili, Gvelesiani, Kashia, Dvali, Kakabadze, Chakvetadze, Kochorashvili, Kiteishvili, Lochoshvili, Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia.
- Portugal team: Costa, Silva, Danilo Pereira, Inacio, Dalot, Palhinha, Neves, Neto, Conceicao, Felix, Ronaldo.
- GROUP F LIVE TABLE
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Euro 2024
That's all from Gelsenkirchen
And it's end of the Euro 2024 group stage.
The final round of matches in this format haven't always delivered fireworks, but they did tonight - and then some.
Georgia's 2-0 win against Portugal was a victory for football purists everywhere and was rounded off by the emotional scenes at full time as the European minnows booked their place in the Last 16.
The fact that is also helped to present England with a perceived easier path to the final was an added bonus.
The tournament now takes two days to breathe before returning with the knockout stage and hopefully a bang.
We'll be here with the action from all the matches, starting with Switzerland against Italy on Saturday.
Goodnight.
Mighty Mik on mark again
With his perfect penalty this evening, Georges Mikautadze took himself to the top of the Euro 2024 scoring charts.
The 23-year-old has now scored in all three of Georgia’s group stage matches at this tournament, making him only the ninth player to achieve the feat at European Championships.
The forward joins the likes f Michel Platini, Alan Shearer, Hristo Stoichkov, Savo Milosevic, Milan Baros, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It's all gone Ron
Cristiano Ronaldo's face said it all in the second half.
Sat slumped on the bench after his substitution, the Portuguese captain was not only watching a defeat but also facing up to a group stage of a major tournament without a goal for the first time in his career.
Prior to this tournament, Ronaldo had scored in all of the 10 group stages he’d played at - the European Championships of 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020, and the World Cups in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Match stats from Arena AufSchalke
Portugal may have outscored Georgia in every category other than goals (you know, the one that counts) but they could not match them for desire and intensity.
Georgia through to Last 16
The greatest night in the history of Georgian football and it means that they will go through to the knockout stage at their first major tournament.
And the reward for such heroics is a Round of 16 match with Spain.
Portugal were already confirmed as group winners, and they will face Slovenia in the next phase.
Turkey, who beat Czech Republic in Hamburg, finish on six points and go through to play Austria.
- Georgia 2-0 Portugal
- Czech Republic 1-2 Turkey
Credit: uefa.com Full time - Georgia 2-0 Portugal
The final whistle goes! The Georgia bench rush on to celebrate with the players on the pitch amid wonderful scenes in Gelsenkirchen.
Goals in each half from stars Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze - the latter a penalty - have got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo and a second-string Portugal.
But take nothing away from Georgia, who brought their energetic and inventive football to the fore again to produce one of the most memorable European Championship performances.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
90+2. Another fine save from Mamardashvili denies Semedo.
The goalkeeper pushes out with one hand, and then, with a defender on hand to cover, the Valencia stopper leaps on it at the second attempt.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
90. The fourth official indicates four minutes of stoppage time.
George are almost there.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
89. The Georgian fans are whistling every Portuguese touch.
They're not nervous; they just want to get the biggest party in this country's footballing history started.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
87. Zuriko Davitashvili tricks his way through from the left and has his eyes on number three.
Excitement gets the better of him, however, and he slams into the side netting.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal - Mekvabishvili yellow card
85. Anzor Mekvabishvili goes into the book for stopping a Portugal attack before it can even start.
I doubt he cares one jot as he jogs back into position.
Five minutes remain.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
83. Portugal finally make some inroads on the left, only for Ruben Neves to spoon the cross horribly behind for a goalkick.
That perhaps sums up the Portuguese.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal - Georgia double substitution
81. Another two changes for Georgia for the final stretch.
Anzor Mekvabishvili and Zuriko Davitashvili come on with a job to do, and the magnificent pair of Giorgi Chakvetadze and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will watch on from the touchline.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
79. Portugal have had more than 80% of the ball over the past 15 minutes, but Georgia remain comfortable.
And without the ball, the intensity of Willy Sagnol's team has remained ferocious throughout.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal - Georgia substitution
77. Giorgi Gocholeishvili has had a very good game as part of a heroic Georgian defence, and he too is going to take a deserved breather.
The experienced Solomon Kvirkvelia will slot in at the back.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal - Portugal double substitution
75. Two more changes for the Selecao.
It's Premier League-tastic as Liverpool's Diogo Jota and Man City's Matheus Nunes enter the fray in place of Pedro Neto and Joao Neves.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
72. Chakvetadze goes close to making it three!
A blistering break sees Georgia three-on-three. Kvaratskhelia looks to his left and then plays in the Watford man.
His first touch takes him slightly wide, his second is a rocket over the crossbar!
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
70. Twenty minutes to go and Georgia are - touch wood - looking comfortable.
Their defence has been superb throughout.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
68. The ten men of Czechia have equalised against Turkey in Group F's other game.
Turkey and Georgia are still going through with Portugal as it stands, but another Czech Republic goal would see them sneak in ahead of the Turks.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal - Portugal double substitution
66. Cristiano Ronaldo's frustrating, infuriating night is over.
The captain rips off his armband as he trudges off to be replaced by Goncalo Ramos.
Wolves Nelson Semedo is also on for the hapless Antonio Silva.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal - Georgia substitution
64. Willy Sagnol makes his first switch, bringing on Giorgi Tsitaishvili.
The midfielder takes over from defender Luka Lochoshvili.
Maybe they're going for more goals...
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
62. There is so much to admire, so much to enjoy about this Georgia side.
It's enthralling, it's exciting, it's exhausting. It's the opposite to watching England.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
60. Georgia have half an hour to hold on for one of the most famous European Championship results of all time.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is bellowing at the referee, wanting a penalty himself after being nudged off the ball,
Already on a yellow card, the Portugal captain needs to be careful.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
57. A perfect penalty from Georges Mikautadze and Georgia lead Portugal by two goals to nil!
The Metz forward shows no sign of nerves as he plants right-footed into the bottom corner.
Diogo Costa dives the right way to his left, but the spotkick is so assured that it whistles into the net before he can get near it.
Mikautadze is now the Euro 2024 top scorer, but this goal means so much more than that!
Spot on!
