TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia is one win away from its tournament debut at the UEFA European Championship after beating Luxembourg 2-0 in a qualifying playoffs semi-final that swung on a dramatic VAR review.
Greece is now just one game away from reaching Euro 2024 after battering Kazakhstan, with their final obstacle awaiting them next week in Georgia.
The 24-team Euro 2024 tournament is being played in 10 German cities from June 14 to July 14.
Georgia’s star forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Napoli winger who was suspended, can return to face either Greece or Kazakhstan on Tuesday when a place at Euro 2024 in Germany is at stake.
Luxembourg had never been closer to a major tournament and was left to rue a video review by the match officials, Reuters reported.
Trailing 1-0 in the 53rd minute, Luxembourg looked to have leveled with a goal from its record scorer Gerson Rodrigues.
Two minutes later, before the game restarted, Spanish referee José María Sánchez was called to the pitchside monitor to look again at an incident on the edge of the Luxembourg penalty area 45 seconds before Rodrigues struck.
The referee judged veteran Luxembourg defender Maxime Chanot had tripped Georges Mikautadze, who stumbled into the penalty area as he ran clear on goal.
Luxembourg´s goal was ruled out, Chanot was shown a red card and Georgia was awarded a free kick but not a penalty. Fully five minutes after the Rodrigues shot, play resumed with Levan Shengelia curling a free kick against the top of the Luxembourg bar.
The match was soon settled in the 63rd when Shengelia´s pass across the goalmouth found Budu Zivzivadze to score his second goal of the game from close range.
Zivzivadze had put Georgia ahead in the 40th when a misdirected defensive header at a corner fell at his feet to score with a rising shot from five meters (yards). The forward with German second-tier club Karlsruher also struck a post with a shot in the 13th.
Luxembourg thought they had equalised in the 53rd minute through Gerson Rodrigues but, after a VAR check for a penalty at the other end, the referee sent off Maxime Chanot for the foul which was outside the area, and disallowed the goal.
Ten minutes later Georgia secured the win when Levan Shengelia’s cross from the left was met by Zivzivadze inside the six-yard box and the forward again found the net to end Luxembourg’s qualifying dream.
Elsewhere, Portugal swept past Sweden 5-2 in a friendly as manager Roberto Martinez rested Cristiano Ronaldo and several other key players in the build-up to the European Championship in Germany, which starts in June.
“It was a very important test for us. We worked on defensive concepts, I really liked the new links, the spirit and the commitment was very good. But there are other concepts that we need to work on and improve,” Martinez told Portuguese television RTP according to Reuters.
Portugal, who stormed into the Euro 2024 finals by winning all 10 of their qualifiers, opened up a three-goal lead in the first half thanks to strikes by Rafael Leao, Matheus Nunes and Bruno Fernandes.
Leao opened the scoring in the 24th minute, firing a brilliant strike into the top corner from a rebound after Bernardo Silva burst into the box and unleashed a curling shot off the post.
In the 33rd minute, Manchester City midfielder Nunes sliced through the Swedish defence before darting a low strike just inside the right post to extend the locals’ lead at Guimaraes, before Fernandes tapped in a close-range effort from a Nelson Semedo cross in the last play of the half.
Substitute Bruma extended their lead with a first-touch effort in the 57th minute but Viktor Gyokeres hit back for Sweden from close range a minute later.
Goncalo Ramos struck from inside the box in the 62nd minute to extend Portugal’s lead from another fine individual effort by Semedo running up and down the right channel, before Sweden’s Gustaf Nilsson netted a stoppage-time header.
“It was a good game but we could have done better because we conceded two goals and we shouldn’t have,” Nunes told Portuguese channel Sport TV.
“We want to go into the Euros strong and always try to keep a clean sheet. It’s easier to win when you don’t concede goals. That’s what we’re going to try to improve, to keep scoring a lot and not conceding.”
