GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany: Portugal are already qualified for the European Championship knockout stages and can sign off from Group F in style with a third win when they play newcomer Georgia on Wednesday.
A draw might give Georgia a chance at qualifying, depending on results elsewhere, but they’re likely to need a shock win. The kickoff in Gelsenkirchen at the same time as group rivals the Czech Republic and Turkiye meet in Hamburg is 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT).
There will be scrutiny of Euro 2024 security after no fewer than six different fans invaded the field or tried to seek selfies with Cristiano Ronaldo at Portugal’s 3-0 win over Turkiye.
Four of them reached Ronaldo. UEFA said on Sunday they increased security but there was another fan on the field on Monday as Spain beat Albania 1-0.
On their major tournament debut, Georgia have won praise for their battling style of play and nearly beat the Czech Republic in their second game if not for a last-second miss. Beating Portugal would be a huge upset and would guarantee Georgia a spot in the round of 16.
Georgia will know before kickoff if a draw will potentially be enough to qualify as one of the four best third-place teams, or if only a win will do. If Georgia draw, they would still require the Czech Republic to lose against Turkiye, though.
Moreover, Ronaldo has yet to score at Euro 2024 and could potentially be rested against Georgia, since Portugal has won Group F no matter what.
Coach Willy Sagnol said Georgia midfielder Otar Kiteishvili missed the first two matches amid fitness concerns but is available to face Portugal
One of the records the 39-year-old Ronaldo can break is that of oldest ever goal-scorer at the European Championships. Croatia’s Luka Modric scored on Monday at age 38 against Italy to set a new record.
Two more milestones for experienced Portuguese players: Ronaldo can play his 210th international game and 41-year-old Pepe can play his 140th.
It’s 18 years since Ronaldo and Sagnol last faced off at a major tournament in Germany. Sagnol was the right back on the France team which beat Ronaldo’s Portugal 1-0 in the 2006 World Cup semifinals.
Meanwhile, Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa on fans invading the field said: “It’s clearly an annoying situation, both for us and for our opponents. It worries us, we’ve already made the statement and let’s hope that the situation improves in the next games, so that the football is richer.”
“The Georgian fans should expect more from me because I haven’t done the maximum I can do. And I will try to show that in the match versus Portugal and hopefully I can assist the team to gain a victory,” said Georgia star forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Portugal chase third win against newcomer Georgia while wary of selfie-seekers
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Portugal chase third win against newcomer Georgia while wary of selfie-seekers
- A draw might give Georgia a chance at qualifying
- There will be scrutiny of Euro 2024 security after no fewer than six different fans invaded the field or tried to seek selfies with Cristiano Ronaldo
Chelsea ride luck to beat Brentford in coach Rosenior’s league debut
- It was Chelsea who found the net, however, when Pedro turned and fired a bullet shot
- The Brazilian was initially ruled offside but the goal was given after a VAR check
LONDON: Chelsea beat London neighbors Brentford 2-0 on Saturday in the first Premier League match under coach Liam Rosenior thanks to a Joao Pedro strike and a Cole Palmer penalty, but they were let off the hook as the visitors wasted a string of chances.
After a run of nine league games with only one win – most of which was under former coach Enzo Maresca who left the club on January 1 – Chelsea managed only two attempts on target all game with Brentford on top for much of each half.
It was Chelsea who found the net, however, when Pedro turned and fired a bullet shot into the top corner of Caoimhin Kelleher’s net in the 26th minute.
The Brazilian was initially ruled offside but the goal was given after a VAR check.
Palmer doubled Chelsea’s lead from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after Kelleher failed to control the ball and, in his desperation to win it back, tripped substitute Liam Delap. The win pushed Chelsea up to sixth in the table, leapfrogging Brentford who had been unbeaten in six league games.
For the visitors, Kevin Schade blew a great chance to open the scoring in the first half but attempted a pass instead and Mathias Jensen hit a post when in space at the far post.
Five minutes into the second half, Schade had an opportunity to make amends for his profligacy when he was put through on goal but his shot was diverted wide by the outstretched foot of the advancing Robert Sanchez.
“We just weren’t clinical enough with the chances we had,” Brentford coach Keith Andrews told the BBC. “We didn’t give up anything at the other end. I’m proud of the performance levels. The growth of the team is there for everyone to see.”
There were cheers of relief rather than celebration at the final whistle from the home fans, some of whom staged a protest outside Stamford Bridge before the game against Chelsea’s US private equity-led owners.
Their strategy of focusing on young players — with more than 1 billion pounds ($1.34 billion) spent since their takeover of the club in 2022 — has yet to turn into consistency on the pitch, frustrating many supporters.
