Following the conclusion of the Euro 2024 group stage, Spain remained the only team to win all their games ahead of their last-16 tie against Georgia in Cologne.
La Roja ended their group campaign with a 1-0 victory over Albania that featured a much-changed side, with Ferran Torres’ early strike enough to secure the win.
However, they will face a Georgia test brimming with self-belief after their maiden triumph at a major international tournament over Portugal last time out.
Willy Sagnol’s side have captured the hearts of football fans across the world, but know the enormity of the task ahead of them, with these teams having also played against each other during qualifying.
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain must approach with caution, as their recent record in the knockout stages of major tournaments has been far from impressive.
They were eliminated in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup and 2022 World Cup, losing on penalties to Russia and Morocco respectively, though they did reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020, when they also lost on penalties to Italy.
With much of the spotlight on Spain’s attack, their defence has impressed and they are yet to concede a goal in Germany. The last time they managed to keep four consecutive clean sheets at a major tournament was at Euro 2012 (a run of five) – the last time they claimed silverware.
Spain’s vibrant attackers are also set to come up against the tournament’s in-form goalkeeper.
Georgia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili, who plays for Valencia at club
level, has saved 16 of the last 17 shots on target he has faced at Euro 2024, and he could be in for another
busy day.
Sagnol’s team faced the most shots (71), most on target (25), and had the highest xG conceded (8.1) of any nation in the group stage, with the only side to face more than 71 shots in the group stage of a Euros being Latvia in 2004 (86).
However, Georgia’s performances in Group F should have given them the confidence to be fearless against the three-time European Champions. A win will see them become the fourth team since the quarter-finals were introduced to reach that stage in their first Euros.
Georgia are under no illusions that they must upset the odds to keep their fairytale at Euro 2024 alive, but getting on the front foot early, as they did against Portugal, seems to be their best hope.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal after 01:32 is the earliest Portugal have ever conceded in the competition, and another Georgian will be hard-pressed to break what is now a national record at a major tournament.
They became the first European nation to qualify from the group stage in their first major tournament since Iceland at Euro 2016 and have the attacking talent to continue their journey.
Georges Mikautadze’s penalty ensured Georgia inflicted the Seleção’s first competitive defeat under Roberto Martínez.
Kvaratskhelia proved a considerable thorn in Portugal’s side during their encounter, registering the joint-most shots (three) of anyone on the pitch while leading the way for shots on target (two) and touches in the opposition box (four) for Georgia.
On the other hand, they conceded 22 shots and had just 27.6% possession, but showcased their clinical nature, outperforming their expected goals (xG) by 0.35.
Riding the crest of a new wave of emerging talent, Spain are back among the best teams in world football, with Luis Enrique’s possession obsession having gone stale.
De la Fuente made 10 changes against Albania, and their strength in depth, which has lacked in major tournaments gone by, is definitely a key quality.
Torres, for example, scored the only goal against Albania and has been directly involved in seven goals across nine appearances for Spain under De la Fuente (five goals, two assists), with no Spain player involved in more goals under him, but the Barcelona forward is unlikely to start on Sunday.
Dani Olmo provided his fourth assist at the European Championship finals on what was his seventh such appearance, with only Cesc Fàbregas providing more for Spain in the competition since records began in 1964 (five), but he too has had to settle for a back-up role in Germany.
And finally, Álex Grimaldo created five chances against Albania, the most of any Spanish defender in a single match at a major tournament on record (since 1980). Yet Marc Cucurella was preferred at left-back in the first two matches.
It is likely that a more familiar Spanish side will take to the pitch, but De la Fuente will have confidence in his bench players to make an impact, should they be needed.
