In a closely contested Euro 2024 playoff semi-final match played on Thursday, Georgia emerged victorious by defeating Luxembourg 2-0 in front of a charged-up home crowd in Tbilisi. Two goals from Budu Zivzivadze proved to be the difference between the two sides, as Luxembourg was left to rue missed opportunities and controversial decisions that went against them.
Despite the visitors’ valiant efforts, they were unable to create clear-cut chances early on as Georgia dominated possession and pressed high up the pitch. In contrast, Luxembourg failed to register a single shot on goal in the opening half, as they struggled to keep pace with their opponents.
The breakthrough finally came five minutes before half-time when a poor headed clearance by Mathias Olesen from a corner landed at the feet of Budu Zivzivadze, who made no mistake and scored with a clinical finish.
Luxembourg thought they had equalized in the 53rd minute through Gerson Rodrigues, but the joy was short-lived. After a VAR check for a penalty at the other end, the referee disallowed the goal and sent off Maxime Chanot for the foul which was outside the area, thereby handing a significant advantage to Georgia.
Ten minutes later, Georgia sealed the win when Levan Shengelia’s cross from the left was met by Budu Zivzivadze inside the six-yard box, and the forward calmly slotted the ball home to ensure that Georgia would progress to the playoff finals.
The victory puts Georgia one step closer to their first-ever qualification for a major tournament. They will now host one of Tuesday’s three playoff finals against either Greece or Kazakhstan, who play later on Thursday. On the other hand, Luxembourg’s dream of reaching the Euro 2024 finals has come to an end, as they were left to rue missed opportunities and controversial decisions that went against them.
