Shortly after England advanced, European powerhouse Spain also secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024) with a dominant 4-1 victory over Georgia at the Mungersdorfer Stadium. Despite creating several scoring opportunities, Georgia struggled to finish effectively on Sunday night (June 30).
Spain Overcome Own Goal To Secure EURO 2024 Quarter-Final Spot
Spain, the only team with a perfect record in EURO 2024, started brightly and had their first chance just four minutes into the game. Lamine Yamal made a deep run into the Georgian half and passed to Dani Carvajal. Carvajal then set up Pedri inside the box, but the midfielder’s shot was easily saved by Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
In the 18th minute, disaster struck for Spain as defender Robin Le Normand accidentally scored an own goal. Otar Kakabadze provided a low cross into the box for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was behind Le Normand. The defender failed to clear the ball and ended up knocking it into his own net. However, Spain quickly equalized through Rodri in the 39th minute. The Manchester City player created space outside the box and skillfully placed a shot into the bottom-right corner with his left foot.
Spain took the lead in the 51st minute when Fabian Ruiz headed in Yamal’s cross from the right flank. La Roja extended their lead in the 75th minute with a fantastic solo goal from Nico Williams, who drove into the box from the left and smashed the ball into the Georgian net. Dani Olmo sealed the victory with a left-footed finish to the left side of Georgia’s goal, leaving Mamardashvili rooted to his spot.
Luis De La Fuente Lauds His Players’ Game Management
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised his players for their strong response after the own goal. In a press conference, he said:
“I have to give credit to the team for how they handled the situation, knowing when to attack, when to defend, and when to maintain possession.
“There can be anxiety, but we remained composed and the goals came. It’s a positive step forward and improvement.”
After their convincing victory in the EURO 2024 Round of 16, Spain will face familiar rivals Germany in the quarter-finals on Friday, July 5.
