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Georgia vs Portugal: Head to head statistics
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Georgia vs Portugal recommended bets
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Georgia vs Portugal match preview
Georgia are making their debut at this summer’s under-21 Euros, qualifying as co-hosts, so can they make home advantage count and upset the odds in Group A?
Since a 2-1 victory over Slovakia in November 2020, Ramaz Svanadze’s side have exclusively played friendlies, given that they didn’t need to got through qualification.
Last mid-week, they beat Cyprus 2-0, but substantially tougher tests await.
The Crusaders took on Portugal in Covilhã last September and were smashed 4-1, emphasising the gulf that very much exists between Georgia and Europe’s top nations.
With a big crowd roaring them on in Tbilisi, can the hosts claim a famous win?
Portugal meantime got all the way to the final of the most-recent U21 Euros, winning all three group games before ousting Italy 5-3 after extra time and then Spain 1-0 in the semis.
This time round, Rui Jorge’s side breezed through qualifying, accumulating 28 points out of a possible 30, so have to be amongst the favourites to make a deep run.
Will Portugal silence the huge home crowd and start with a win at Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena?
Georgia team news
Talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was called up to represent the U21s, but has opted not to feature at this tournament.
Similarly, Ramaz Svanadze is hampered by the fact that many of his key players were with the senior team at Hampden for Tuesday night’s Euro qualifier, so will surely not be available for this one.
These are: first-choice goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, full-backs Giorgi Gocholeishvili and Irakli Azarovi as well as midfielders Saba Sazonov and Zuriko Davitashvili.
They could all feature later in the tournament, but surely will not be in action here.
One man who surely will start is Giorgi Guliashvili, who’s yet to be capped at senior level, despite scoring six times in 11 appearances for the U21s.
Portugal team news
Portugal are without their captain Fábio Vieira of Arsenal, who withdraw from the squad on Monday due to ‘a medical issue’, which is concerningly vague.
This is a big blow, given that Vieira has scored 14 times in 25 appearance at U21 level, and was player of the tournament two summers ago.
Right-back Tomás Tavares has also pulled out due to injury.
Rui Jorge’s team will still feature some familiar faces.
Nuno Tavares, still on Arsenal’s books, will start at left-back, while Pedro Neto and Fábio Silva, both of Wolves, could be part of the front three.
Francisco Conceição, son of Sergio, Watford’s Henrique Araújo and Vitinho complete an array of attacking talent.
Under-21 Euros Group A table
Under-21 Euros Group A results and fixtures
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