When is it? How can you watch it? What are the possible line-ups?
Georgia and Portugal meet in their Third Group F match at UEFA EURO 2024.
Georgia and Portugal at a glance
When: Wednesday 27 June (03:00 GMT+8 kick-off)
Where: Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen
What: UEFA EURO 2024 Group F Matchday 3
What do you need to know?
Positive, aggressive and willing, Georgia have left their mark on EURO 2024 even if they have only one point to show for their efforts so far. The mere fact that they have reached Matchday 3 with a chance of qualifying for the knockout phase is something for Willy Sagnol’s side to be proud of. As they take on group winners Portugal, they have come too far to worry about reputations.
These teams have met only once before in a pre-EURO 2008 friendly which a Portugal outfit featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe won 2-0 in Viseu, but with top spot in the section already secure, Roberto Martínez will almost certainly rest some of his big-name players and test out some of the hungry talent in his squad. Georgia will not exactly be relieved, and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili may still be in for another busy evening, but they have nothing to lose and everything to gain from a possible shock win.
Possible line-ups
Georgia: Mamardashvili; Shengelia, Dvali, Kashia, Kverkvelia, Gocholeishvili; Kiteishvili, Kochorashvili, Chakvetadze; Kvaratskhelia, Zivzivadze
Misses next match if booked: Gvelesiani, Kashia, Kochorashvili, Kverkvelia, Mekvabishvili
Portugal: Diogo Costa: Nélson Semedo, António Silva, Danilo, Dalot; Palhinha, João Neves, Matheus Nunes; João Félix, Ronaldo, Francisco Conceição
Suspended: Rafael Leão
Misses next match if booked: Francisco Conceição, João Palhinha
Form guide
Georgia:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DLWDWL
Portugal:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WWWLWL
Expert predictions
Vakhtang Bzikadze, Georgia reporter
Georgia have shown quality at both ends of the pitch so far: against Türkiye they threatened in attack but still suffered defeat; against Czechia they were solid at the back and claimed a draw. Now it’s time to knit things together at both ends of the field. Willy Sagnol might change his wide players, but much about his starting XI hinges on whether midfielder Otar Kiteishvili is fit to take part.
Carlos Machado, Portugal reporter
With first place in Group F in the bag, Roberto Martínez has said he will reshuffle his starting XI. Regardless, Portugal have lots of quality in their squad, so there should be a strong line-up to face a Georgia side who are fighting for survival, which may leave space for the Seleção to exploit. There are players with points to prove and an eye on a starting spot in the round of 16, so this will be a full-blooded performance.
What the coaches say
Willy Sagnol, Georgia coach: “Portugal are a fantastic team, with a lot of top players, but even if we only have a small chance to qualify, all my players and me will dream about that until the very end.Just to be here is a big deal for us: it means a lot. Before the competition, if someone said we could still have a chance to qualify going into the last match, I would have taken that in a heartbeat. But it’s only natural to want more now.”
Roberto Martínez, Portugal coach: “The integrity of the tournament is essential. It is an important game because the result will decide who will and won’t qualify. My team will be full of important players. Diogo Costa will be in goal because I don’t like rotating goalkeepers. It’s a very short tournament and we need Diogo to have a good understanding with the centre-backs. There will be no revolution: it will be a competitive team who will set out to win.”