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Georgia created history by reaching their first major tournament with a penalty shootout win over Greece in their Euro 2024 play-off.
Home substitute Nika Kvekveskiri scored the winning penalty, squeezing his effort past the outstretched arm of Greece keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
The 4-2 shootout success, which came after a tight and tense goalless draw, sparked joyous scenes in Tbilisi.
Georgian supporters ran on to the pitch to congratulate their players, having seen the national side – which played its first match in 1990 when still part of the Soviet Union – qualify for a major tournament at the 15th attempt.
Fans climbed on the crossbar of one of the goals and kneeled on the pitch in celebration.
Georgia will join Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic in Group F at this summer’s finals.
A cagey match, which saw only one shot on target in normal time, eventually burst into life in the extra period.
Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos hit the home bar with a powerful header from a corner, but a sloppy pass from the West Ham player seconds later let Georgia in.
Georges Mikautadze raced through before being forced out wide, but his cutback found Zuriko Davitashvili, whose low shot was well saved by visiting keeper Vlachodimos.
Penalties were needed to separate the teams and Lech Poznan midfielder Kvekveskiri, 31, converted the decisive one after Greece’s Giorgos Giakoumakis put his spot-kick wide.
The Euro 2024 finals will begin on Friday, 14 June at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The tournament concludes on Sunday, 14 July, with the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Line-ups
Georgia
Formation 3-1-4-2
- 12Mamardashvili
- 5KvirkveliaBooked at 50mins
- 4Kashia
- 3Dvali
- 17KiteishviliSubstituted forKvekveskiriat 104′minutes
- 2Kakabadze
- 6Kochorashvili
- 10ChakvetadzeSubstituted forDavitashviliat 104′minutes
- 19ShengeliaSubstituted forTsitaishviliat 86′minutes
- 8ZivzivadzeBooked at 42minsSubstituted forMikautadzeat 75′minutes
- 7KvaratskheliaSubstituted forKvilitaiaat 109′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Loria
- 9Davitashvili
- 11Kvilitaia
- 13Gocholeishvili
- 14Lochoshvili
- 15Gvelesiani
- 16Kvekveskiri
- 18Altunashvili
- 20Kankava
- 21Tsitaishvili
- 22Mikautadze
- 23Gugeshashvili
Greece
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Vlachodimos
- 2BaldockBooked at 6minsSubstituted forRotaat 60′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 4MavropanosBooked at 44mins
- 17HatzidiakosBooked at 35minsSubstituted forRetsosat 105′minutes
- 21Tsimikas
- 6KourbelisSubstituted forSiopisat 67′minutes
- 20MantalosSubstituted forBouchalakisat 99′minutes
- 7Masouras
- 11Bakasetas
- 10PelkasSubstituted forKonstanteliasat 61′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 8IoannidisSubstituted forGiakoumakisat 90′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Koulierakis
- 5Bouchalakis
- 9Pavlidis
- 12Paschalakis
- 13Athanasiadis
- 14Retsos
- 15Rota
- 16Chatzigiovanis
- 18Konstantelias
- 19Giakoumakis
- 22Gonçalves Rodrigues
- 23Siopis
Live Text
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Match ends, Georgia 0(4), Greece 0(2).
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Penalty Shootout ends, Georgia 0(4), Greece 0(2).
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Goal! Georgia 0(4), Greece 0(2). Nika Kvekveskiri (Georgia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Penalty missed. Giorgos Giakoumakis (Greece) right footed shot is close, but misses to the left.
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Goal! Georgia 0(3), Greece 0(2). Lasha Dvali (Georgia) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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Goal! Georgia 0(2), Greece 0(2). Andreas Bouchalakis (Greece) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the centre of the goal.
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Penalty missed. Georges Mikautadze (Georgia) right footed shot is close, but misses to the right.
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Goal! Georgia 0(2), Greece 0(1). Giorgos Masouras (Greece) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Goal! Georgia 0(2), Greece 0. Zuriko Davitashvili (Georgia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
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Penalty saved. Anastasios Bakasetas (Greece) left footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
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Goal! Georgia 0(1), Greece 0. Giorgi Kochorashvili (Georgia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
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Penalty Shootout begins Georgia 0, Greece 0.
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Second Half Extra Time ends, Georgia 0, Greece 0.
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Attempt missed. Georges Mikautadze (Georgia) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Giorgi Kvilitaia with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
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Foul by Giorgos Giakoumakis (Greece).
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Nika Kvekveskiri (Georgia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Andreas Bouchalakis (Greece).
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Giorgi Kvilitaia (Georgia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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