Spain and Georgia will play their final matches of Euro 2024 qualifying on Sunday in Valladolid. La Roja are top of Group A and a win or draw would see them win the group.
Georgia can still qualify for the playoffs. But the Georgians would need to defeat Spain to have any hope of ending in third place.Norway would also need to lose in their final matches for Georgia to progress to the playoffs.
⚽️: 🇬🇪 საქართველო 2⃣-2⃣ შოტლანდია 🏴⚽️: 🇬🇪 #GFF 2⃣-2⃣ Scotland 🏴🙌🤗 მადლობა სტადიონზე მოსულ თითოეულ გულშემატკივარს !🙌🤗 Thank you fans for your fantastic support within the stadium! #GEOSCO #მევარსაქართველო pic.twitter.com/V2MToysmlb— Georgia • GFF (@GeorgiaGff) November 17, 2023
⚽️: 🇬🇪 საქართველო 2⃣-2⃣ შოტლანდია 🏴⚽️: 🇬🇪 #GFF 2⃣-2⃣ Scotland 🏴🙌🤗 მადლობა სტადიონზე მოსულ თითოეულ გულშემატკივარს !🙌🤗 Thank you fans for your fantastic support within the stadium! #GEOSCO #მევარსაქართველო pic.twitter.com/V2MToysmlb
The good news for Willy Sagnol’s Georgia is that the team will progress to the Nations League playoffs if they end qualifying in fourth place.
There is a slight silver lining for the Georgian team. Although Sagnol will have hoped the side could qualify for at least the playoffs.
Group A is a difficult group with Spain, Scotland, and Norway all sitting above Georgia. Spain’s only loss in qualifying was a 2-0 defeat away to Scotland. Since then, Spain have won five straight Euro 2024 qualifying matches.
These teams met in Tbilisi in September with Spain romping to a 7-1 win. Alvaro Morata was the start of the game, as he scored a hat-trick. Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, and Lamine Yamal all got onto the scoresheet for Spain.
Georgia’s Giorgi Chakvetadze pulled a goal back for Georgia, but the home side was heavily outmatched by Spain. Now, the question will be, how many goals will Spain score against Georgia in Valladolid?
The Georgians are coming off a home 2-2 draw with Scotland on Thursday. The draw between Georgia and Scotland enabled Spain to go top of the group with 18 points, two more than Scotland.
Spain have a brilliant +18-goal difference with 22 goals for and four against. No team in Group A has conceded fewer goals. La Roja conceded just once in their last four Group A matches.
Georgia go into Sunday unbeaten in three straight games. An 8-0 beatdown of Thailand was followed by a 4-0 win over Cyprus. Neither of those teams are world-beaters. However, Georgia posted a 2-2 draw at home against Scotland, with Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring twice.
It could have been a far better night for Georgia, as they twice led the game, only for Scotland to tie. Scotland’s final goal came in second-half stoppage-time, as Lawrence Shankland scored to steal a draw.
Spain’s Yamal and Joselu will go into Sunday with their heads high. Both players scored on Thursday in Spain’s 3-1 win over Cyprus.
All three of Spain’s goals were scored in the opening 28 minutes. Joselu now has four goals in qualifying, which has him level with Morata and leading Spain.
La Roja should post another victory in Group A to finish qualifying as group winners. Georgia will hope that the result isn’t as bad as the teams’ reverse fixture.