Euro 2024: Eyes on the knockouts! Georgia reach miraculous qualification after 2-0 Portugal win

Euronews

26 June 2024 at 12:02 pm·3-min read

Euro 2024: Eyes on the knockouts! Georgia reach miraculous qualification after 2-0 Portugal win

The Euro 2024 round of 16 table is finally complete.

Georgia have made it to the Euro 2024 last 16 after a surprising 2-0 victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in Group F.

The debuting Caucasian side needed a win to reach the knockout stage and got their opening goal after only 93 seconds. Georges Mikautadze intercepted a poor pass and set up Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskelia to score with a low shot.

Portugal's António Silva later tripped Luka Lochoshvili inside the penalty area. The referee blew the whistle and Georges Mikautadze hit the spot-kick low past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa in the 57th minute to reach the 2-0.

Cristiano Ronaldo kicked away a water bottle when he was substituted in the 66th minute. Georgia's victory also eliminated Hungary, who finished third in Group A.

Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during a Group F match between Georgia and Portugal - AP/Alessandra Tarantino

In the other Group F game, Turkey beat the Czech Republic 2-1 to also progress through, while the Czechs were eliminated.

Cenk Tosun scored in stoppage time to send Turkey into the knockout stage of Euro 2024 with a 2-1 win over the 10-manned Czech side.

Czech captain Tomas Soucek equalized in the 66th minute to cancel Hakan Calhanoglu’s opening goal, but it wasn’t enough to keep his team in the tournament. The Czechs had midfielder Antonin Barak sent off in the 20th minute for two bookable fouls.

The Czech Republic finished bottom of Group F behind Georgia, while Turkey finished runner-up with six points. Portugal have six points too, but rank first ahead of Turkey on goal difference.

Turkey's Hakan Çalhanoğlu open the scoring for Turkey against the Czech Republic - AP/Petr David Josek

Group E: Romania finish first followed by Belgium and Slovakia. Ukraine are out

In Group E, Romania and Slovakia got the 1-1 draw that sent both teams into the round of 16 at Euro 2024, with the Romanians topping Group E ahead of Belgium.

During a thunderstorm and pounding rain midway through the second half, both teams chased a winning goal in a frenetic spell of play despite the tied score suiting them both.

Romania advanced atop the group with Slovakia in third because second-place Belgium drew 0-0 with last-place Ukraine, which are eliminated. Belgium will play France in the round of 16.

Romanian players celebrate Group E first place at Euro 2024 - AP/Darko Vojinovic

Ukraine's Oleksandr Tymchyk lies on the ground at the end of a Group E match between Ukraine and Belgium at Euro 2024 - AP/Ariel Schalit

Slovakia led in the 24th minute when Ondrej Duda directed a powerful header down into the corner of the net. Răzvan Marin levelled in the 37th from a penalty awarded after a two-minute video review to decide if Ianis Hagi was tripped inside the area.

Romania will now play in the knockout round for the first time since Euro 2000 when Hagi’s father, national football icon Gheorghe, was the captain in the No. 10 jersey now worn by his son.

Round of 16 table complete

Games will now pause for two days to resume on Saturday with the opening knockouts ties.

Switzerland-Italy 29/6
Germany-Denmark 29/6
England-Slovakia 30/6
Spain-Georgia 30/06
France-Belgium 01/07
Portugal- Slovenia 01/07
Romania-Netherlands 02/07
Austria-Turkey 02/07