Georgia secured their first level at a serious worldwide event with a battling draw in opposition to the Czech Republic in Hamburg, though they got here so near stealing all three.
They needed to stand up to heavy second-half strain to attain it having gone forward by Georges Mikautadze’s penalty in first-half stoppage time.
The Czechs, who had an earlier purpose disallowed by VAR for handball, obtained the equaliser by Patrik Schick after 59 minutes and it appeared as they might go and discover a winner.
However Georgia held on and must have snatched a dramatic winner as a three-on-one break culminated in substitute Saba Lobjanidze firing over a gaping purpose with the final kick of the sport.
The draw does little for both facet’s probabilities of development from Group F with each now needing a win from their last pool match.
🇬🇪🆚🇨🇿 It ends degree in Hamburg #EURO2024 | #GEOCZE pic.twitter.com/ayUSs5eTSf
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 22, 2024
Georgia’s opening match of the event in opposition to Turkey – which led to a 3-1 defeat – was chaos just about from begin to end and this sport began in the same vein with the Czech Republic pouring ahead in waves from the primary whistle.
Solely two minutes had elapsed when Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was known as into motion to make an outstanding double cease to maintain out Adam Hlozek’s shot in addition to the follow-up effort from Schick.
A minute later and he needed to dive to his proper to parry clear Hlozek’s header.
Georgia had been struggling to deal with the Czechs’ physicality, significantly from set-pieces, and one other lengthy throw from Vladimir Coufal precipitated panic as soon as once more halfway by the primary interval.
The West Ham proper again’s supply was not cleared and, though Hlozek’s shot was saved by Mamardashvili, the striker bundled within the rebound through his face after which his hand. VAR intervened and the purpose was disallowed.
Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek was a spectator for a lot of the opening interval however he was known as into motion on the stroke of half-time to dam Guram Kashia’s close-range shot following a free-kick large on the appropriate from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Czechs thought the hazard was over however a VAR test revealed a handball by Robert Hranec because the ball got here in.
Mikautadze took duty and slotted calmly into the appropriate nook.
Georges Mikautadze now has two targets at Euro 2024!#GEOCZE #BBCEuros #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/UrkwxaKYoq
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 22, 2024
There was nonetheless time earlier than the break for Schick to seek out area inside the realm and fireplace a shot on purpose which introduced an excellent save from Mamardashvili.
The Czechs got here out with renewed goal after the interval, forcing Georgia to play on the break nevertheless it was a tactic that just about labored for Willy Sagnol’s facet.
A Czech nook was cleared, permitting Kvaratskhelia to steer the counter with an 80-yard run earlier than passing to Anzor Mekvabishvili whose shot flashed simply large of the upright.
The Czechs lastly obtained the equaliser their strain merited shortly earlier than the hour mark and unsurprisingly it got here from a nook.
Coufal whipped it in from the appropriate, substitute Ondrej Lingr’s header hit the left-hand submit and Schick was available to bundle the ball over the road together with his chest.
Patrik Schick will get the equaliser! #GEOCZE #BBCEuros #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/a1qeG9AWVx
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 22, 2024
Ladislav Krejci nearly put them forward three minutes later from an equivalent set-piece however this time his header drifted large.
Georgia had been tiring and the probabilities had been beginning to move for the Czechs. Mojmir Chytil glanced a diving header simply large earlier than Mamardashvili obtained down nicely to parry clear a Lingr shot.
The sport nearly had a late sting within the tail however Lobjanidze fluffed his traces a lot to the frustration of the big Georgian assist.
