Georgia vs Spain. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more

Georgia will host Spain in the UEFA EURO 2024 5th qualification round of Group A match at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena. The fixture will take place on Friday, September 8, beginning at 21:30 IST.

Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

Georgia News & Current Form: 

For thirty years the national team has been trying to reach the final tournament of the World Cup or European Championship, but their best achievement on this path was the third place in the European qualifying group in 1996 and the same place in the qualifying group for the World Cup in 2002.

And it cannot be said that the brightest players disappeared. The names of Kakha Kaladze, Shota Arveladze, Giorgi Demetradze, Temur Ketsbaia and others rumbled all over Europe. However, they failed to create a strong national team. Perhaps, now there is a chance to claim something more than just a bright game at certain moments.

Firstly, a new generation of young interesting players has grown up, among which 22-year-old Khvicha Kvaratskhelia stands out. At first he was a sensation in FC Dinamo Batumi, then he moved to SSC Napoli and became one of the heroes of last season, leading the team to the third Scudetto in history, in addition, the club reached the 1/4 finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Player of Georgian national football team and SSC Napoli, who is nominated for Ballon d’Or award  –  Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Khvicha missed the start of the new season due to injury. However, relatively recently he recovered from the injury. Kvaratskhelia managed to play two matches before the break for national team games. First, he helped Napoli beat US Sassuolo ( 2:0), making an assist. Then the Blues lost to SS Lazio (1:2).

The list of talented Crusaders players does not end with Khvicha. Most recently, defender Saba Sazonov moved to Torino FC 1906.  Also the main goalkeeper of the national team Georgi Mamardashvili, who plays for Valencia CF, is in a good tone.

Secondly, it is worth noting the work of French coach Willy Sagnol, who worked with the French youth team and was an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at FC Bayern Munich. Georgians need to prove their worthiness in matches with strong opponents, and the Spaniards are very useful here.

In the current qualifying cycle the Georgian national team has gained four points in three games and is on the second line in the group, far behind the leader, while the rivals are getting closer.

The Crusaders started this campaign with a draw against Norway, playing 1:1 on their home field. After that they managed to beat Cyprus 2:1 away. In the third game of the qualification cycle Georgians suffered their first fiasco in the tournament, losing 0:2 to Scotland, who won all four games in this qualification.

Prior to that, the Georgian national team had a successful run in the UEFA Nations League, where they won the quartet against Bulgaria, Macedonia and Gibraltar and were promoted to Division B. In six matches, the players conceded three goals and scored 16. Midfielder Kvaratskhelia took part in seven of those goals (five goals scored and two assists).

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Spain News & Current Form: 

The titles won by the Spanish national team make one’s head spin.  Spain has always had individually strong players, not to mention the clubs, but a lot of it was based on legionnaires. The national team was often a contender for victory, but could not win regularly. It all started with the building of children’s football, the creation of schools, the emergence of a hierarchy of national teams. 

Over time, the development of quality players was put on a stream. As a result, the team became the strongest in the world. It dominated for four years. From 2008 to 2012 the title of World Champions and twice European Champions was conquered. 

The Spaniards approached the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 as one of the youngest teams. They simply lacked the experience to perform well at the tournament. In the first match the Spaniards took Costa Rica (7:0), then played a draw with Germany (1:1) and lost to Japan (1:2), and went home at the end of the first stage of the play-offs – did not overcome Morocco (0:0, pen 0:3). 

As a result, the new coach was appointed – Luis de la Fuente, who had previously twice led the youth national team to victory at the European Championships.

Most scoring player of the Spanish national football team – Joselu

De la Fuente slightly diluted the young squad with experienced players. It was not without mistakes, but he still managed to fine-tune the game mechanisms. The 62-year-old won the Nations League, beating Italy in the semi-finals (2:1), and in the deciding match defeated Croatia (0:0, 5:4 penalties). This trophy was the first for the national team in 11 years. And the most scoring player of Spain in 2023 became Joselu – he accounted for three of the five goals of the team this year.

Of course, the coach still has a lot of work to do. At times there are negative moments in the game of the Spaniards. But on the whole, La Roja has changed in a positive way under de la Fuente. Having experienced players in the squad gives confidence and helps the incredibly promising youngsters develop.

The Spaniards have one of the most powerful attacking lines in the tournament. However, they regularly make defensive mistakes and allow their opponents too many chances at their goal. The goalkeeper often helps, but his efforts are not always enough.

The Spanish national team in this qualifying campaign for the continental championship managed to play only two games, in which they scored three points and are now on the 4th spot in the group.

The Red Fury started this competition with a big home win over Norway 3:0, after which they lost the away game to the Scots 0:2.

Captain of the national team Rodri about his team’s goal to win the game against georgia:

“It is a privilege to be on that list and to represent Spanish football. Winning it would be a dream. I focus on performing both collectively and individually. For me, last season was very special, in which I was fortunate enough to take part in some very important moments.”

“For us it’s a very important game against a strong team, even if they don’t have a big name. We expect it to be one of the toughest games in the group. We have to put in a good performance to win.We come from winning the Nations League, which is not easy to win. We know we have a very difficult qualifying group, but we want to show the level Spain is at and win tomorrow to stay alive.”

 “We know that Georgia is a great team and they have shown that in recent years.”

Georgia form guide: D-W-L

Spain form guide: W-L

Georgia vs Spain Head-To-Head Record:

• June 7, 2016: Spain 0 – 1 Georgia (International Friendly);
• March 28, 2021: Georgia 1 – 2 Spain (FIFA World Cup);
• September 5, 2021: Spain 4 – 0 Georgia (FIFA World Cup).

Georgia vs Spain Predicted XI:

Georgia’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Kvirkvelia, Kashia, Dvali; Gocholeishvili, Chakvetadze, Aburjania, Kiteishvili, Azarovi; Mikaudtadze, Kvaratskhelia.

Spain’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Balde; Rodri, Ruiz; Asensio, Gavi, Olmo; Morata.

Statistical preview of the match Georgia vs Spain:

• Georgia’s First XI average age is  26.7 years and the team is on the 87th position in FIFA ranking.
• Spain’s First XI average age is 27.3 yrs and the team is ranked 10th in FIFA rating.
• The Georgian national team has never once in its history managed to make it to the European or World Championships.
• Georgia have an average total of 1.89 cautions at home, Spain away get an average of 1.13 yellow cards per 90 minutes.
• Daniel Siebert has been appointed the main referee of the meeting. He has officiated four games in the new season, averaging 19.5 fouls and 3.5 yellow cards per game.
• The best scorer in the history of the team is Shota Arveladze with 26 goals.
• Guram Kashia played the largest number of games for the national team – 100.

• The Spanish national team is a world champion, three-time European champion, winner of the Olympic Games and the Nations League.
• The best scorer in the history of the team is David Villa, with 59 goals scored.
• Defender Sergio Ramos has played the highest number of matches for the national team – 180.

What has been said before the match:

“We have an important game ahead of us. We are playing against one of the best teams in the world in the form of Spain. We are having a productive meeting and preparing for both matches. Both Spain and Norway are very strong teams.”

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is optimistic about his team’s upcoming games

“We promise the fans that we will do our best. We should thank them because they fill the stadium every game. It is very good that Georgian football players continue their careers in better clubs. We missed it a lot. When you play in a strong team, where there is a high tempo, it affects the national team and helps the national team”.

“It will be tough and complicated, just like the one we experienced last time here. They have grown a lot over the last few years and it will be difficult, but our players are ready. We will enjoy it and try to get a good result.”

Coach of Spanish Roja Luis de Fuente ahead of the game with Georgia:

“I know Georgian football very well because I was here with the U-19 and U-21 teams. They have a great generation, I would say the best in their history. It has always been very difficult for us to win here and now we know that to do so we have to give the best version of ourselves.”

“I always like to emphasize the value of the team. I believe that individuals are at the service of the group and the case of Georgia is no different. We have some absentees, but we will compete, being united and knowing that it is not a final, but it is a very important match”.

“The attitude excites me and makes me feel very calm because they are the best to be here. We want all of Spain to feel very proud of these players, because in this qualifying phase we are playing for prestige and the future of our football.”

Georgia vs Spain Prediction:

Both Georgia and Spain have performed admirably in the Nations League and will take part in the battle for the three Euro 2024 berths next spring. Therefore, the face-to-face match for both teams might not be a key match from a tournament point of view. At the same time, the Red Furies and Crusaders show erratic results. The Spaniards sensationally lost to Scotland, and then suddenly clinched the Nations League trophy. And the Georgians, for example, snatched a draw from Norway (1:1), but lost to the same Scotland (2:0) without a chance. 

While the difference in class and the history of meetings speak in Spain’s favour, the aggressive attack of the Georgians and the relaxed state of the Reds allow for at least one resulting strike from the hosts. We can expect a tense battle, as Georgia’s class has grown a lot in recent years. The players are robust, there are practically no players from the local championship in the main squad – all of them are from foreign clubs. They have real stars by European standards: goalkeeper Mamardashvili and left winger Kvaratskhelia. Moreover, Mamardashvili plays in the Spanish championship and knows the opponent’s forwards very well. Statistics are also in favour of the Georgians. The team has lost five times in the last 15 games at home, but only once with a difference of two goals. They also gave a fight to the Spanish team, that was in qualifying for the World Cup-22 (they lost 1:2 in Tbilisi). And how does Spain in general play away? There are practically no defeats, in 15 previous meetings only Jordan were beaten with a two goal difference. 

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: Handicap Georgia (+1.5) – Yes.

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