Georgia secured their first point at a major international tournament with a battling draw against the Czech Republic in Hamburg, although they came so close to stealing all three.
They had to withstand heavy second-half pressure to achieve it having gone ahead through Georges Mikautadze’s penalty in first-half stoppage time.
The Czechs, who had an earlier goal disallowed by VAR for handball, got the equaliser through Patrik Schick after 59 minutes and it seemed as they would go and find a winner.
But Georgia held on and ought to have snatched a dramatic winner as a three-on-one break culminated in substitute Saba Lobjanidze firing over a gaping goal with the last kick of the game.
The draw does little for either side’s chances of progression from Group F with both now needing a win from their final pool match.
🇬🇪🆚🇨🇿 It ends level in Hamburg #EURO2024 | #GEOCZE pic.twitter.com/ayUSs5eTSf
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 22, 2024
Georgia’s opening match of the tournament against Turkey – which ended in a 3-1 defeat – was chaos virtually from start to finish and this game started in a similar vein with the Czech Republic pouring forward in waves from the first whistle.
Only two minutes had elapsed when Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was called into action to make a superb double stop to keep out Adam Hlozek’s shot as well as the follow-up effort from Schick.
A minute later and he had to dive to his right to parry clear Hlozek’s header.
Georgia were struggling to cope with the Czechs’ physicality, particularly from set-pieces, and another long throw from Vladimir Coufal caused panic once again midway through the first period.
The West Ham right back’s delivery was not cleared and, although Hlozek’s shot was saved by Mamardashvili, the striker bundled in the rebound via his face and then his hand. VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed.
Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek was a spectator for much of the opening period but he was called into action on the stroke of half-time to block Guram Kashia’s close-range shot following a free-kick wide on the right from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Czechs thought the danger was over but a VAR check revealed a handball by Robert Hranec as the ball came in.
Mikautadze took responsibility and slotted calmly into the right corner.
Georges Mikautadze now has two goals at Euro 2024!#GEOCZE #BBCEuros #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/UrkwxaKYoq
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 22, 2024
There was still time before the break for Schick to find space inside the area and fire a shot on goal which brought a brilliant save from Mamardashvili.
The Czechs came out with renewed purpose after the interval, forcing Georgia to play on the break but it was a tactic that almost worked for Willy Sagnol’s side.
A Czech corner was cleared, allowing Kvaratskhelia to lead the counter with an 80-yard run before passing to Anzor Mekvabishvili whose shot flashed just wide of the upright.
The Czechs finally got the equaliser their pressure merited shortly before the hour mark and unsurprisingly it came from a corner.
Coufal whipped it in from the right, substitute Ondrej Lingr’s header hit the left-hand post and Schick was on hand to bundle the ball over the line with his chest.
Patrik Schick gets the equaliser! #GEOCZE #BBCEuros #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/a1qeG9AWVx
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 22, 2024
Ladislav Krejci almost put them ahead three minutes later from an identical set-piece but this time his header drifted wide.
Georgia were tiring and the chances were starting to flow for the Czechs. Mojmir Chytil glanced a diving header just wide before Mamardashvili got down well to parry clear a Lingr shot.
The game almost had a late sting in the tail but Lobjanidze fluffed his lines much to the frustration of the large Georgian support.
