Georgia Have Opportunity to Make History
Group F Finale: Georgia vs Portugal Euro Odds
Portugal Clinched First Place in Group F
With two wins from two matches, Portugal have already clinched first place in Euro 2024 Group F. Coach Roberto Martinez has an opportunity to rest some key players and keep his substitutes involved on Wednesday when Portugal take on Georgia. Debutants Georgia kept their knockout stage hopes alive with a 1-1 draw against Czech Republic and even had a late chance to win the match. If Georgia win, they’ll advance to the round of 16 but the Georgia vs Portugal Euro odds certainly aren’t in their favor.
Georgia vs Portugal
Records: Georgia (0-1-1), Portugal (2-0-0)
Date & Time: Wednesday, June 26, 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Stream: Fox Sports
Georgia vs Portugal Head-to-Head
Being Georgia’s first major tournament appearance, these sides have never played any UEFA Euro games against each other. Their only meeting was in a 2008 friendly, which Portugal won 2-0. Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe both played that day and are incredibly still with Portugal 16 years later.
Mamardashvili Stepping up for Georgia
Georgia remarkably got a draw out of Saturday’s game versus Czech Republic despite being outshot 27-5. Keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has made 19 saves through two matches to keep Georgia’s knockout stage hopes alive. The Valencia shot-stopper made 11 saves when Georgia took on the Czech Republic (Czechia), the most of any keeper in a Euro match for 12 years.
Georges Mikautadze has also found the net for Georgia in back-to-back matches. Georgia lost 3-1 to Turkey in their opening group stage match and managed a 1-1 draw against Czechia. Saba Lobzhanidze had an incredible chance to grab a late winner but he skied his effort. Georgia have been an entertaining watch thus far.
With a historic win, they could truly arrive on the biggest stage in European soccer. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is Georgia’s most talented outfield player but he hasn’t scored or assisted yet at the tournament. Look for the winger to try and carry Georgia to unreached heights. Still, they are in last place in the Group F UEFA Euro standings heading into the final group match.
| Key Stats | Georgia | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 2 | 2 |
| Won | 0 | 2 |
| Draw | 1 | 0 |
| Lost | 1 | 0 |
| Goals | 2 | 5 |
| Total Attempts | 20 | 31 |
| Passing Accuracy (%) | 83.5 | 89 |
| Attacks | 72 | 114 |
| Balls Recovered | 91 | 83 |
| Saves | 15 | 3 |
| Yellow Cards | 5 | 4 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
Leao Out for Portugal
So far, so good for Portugal. Portugal defeated Czechia 2-1 in their opener and took down Turkey 3-0 last Saturday. While Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t found the net yet, he did provide an assist for Bruno Fernandes against Turkey. If Portugal are winning, he won’t be complaining much about who gets the goals.
On Wednesday, it won’t be Rafael Leao. The dynamic winger is suspended for the group stage finale. Reserve forward Diogo Jota also missed Monday’s training session with a reported injury. In any case, Martinez can still switch up the lineup and not risk his key players getting injuries.
Spain managed to rotate on Monday against Albania and still came away with a win and Martinez may follow that blueprint. Currently, the outright UEFA Euro odds price Portugal at +600 to win the tournament. They have one of the deepest squads in the tournament and won’t be a side anyone wants to see in the knockout stage.
Georgia vs Portugal Match Analysis & Odds
Anything can happen in this match. We saw Brazil and France rotate their squads at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and lose their group stage finales to Cameroon and Tunisia, respectively. Georgia have a ton of motivation to come away with a win, take down a European giant, and qualify for the knockout stage.
If Martinez plays Portugal’s backups, they’ll have motivation to get into the permanent starting 11 but it’ll be hard for Portugal not to look toward the round of 16. In any case, Portugal are -260 favorites for this match, according to the Georgia vs Portugal Euro odds. Georgia are +600 underdogs and they may need another huge effort from Mamardashvili.
No matter who’s on the field for Portugal, they’ll create a bunch of chances. To win this match, Georgia have to be more clinical with the few chances they get. Georgia +1.5 currently sits at -125 odds and this could be a close one. Meanwhile, Portugal -1.5 sits at +105 and a draw comes in at +420 Georgia vs Portugal Euro odds.
The over/under is set at three goals and we think it’ll take at least two goals for Georgia to come away with an improbable win here.
| Team | Handicap |
|---|---|
| Georgia | +1½ -125 |
| Portugal | -1½ +105 |
