In the 2nd minute, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia accelerated and scored a goal. That early goal opened up a resounding 2-0 victory for Georgia. Thanks to that, this “dark horse” passed the group stage as one of four teams ranked 3rd with good results.
Ronaldo and Kvaratskhelia
After the match, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was voted “Best Player of the Match”. Sharing about the historic achievements of Georgian football, the player known as “the new Maradona” affirmed: “There is no individual best player today, it is the achievement of the whole team. The Georgia national team proved to everyone how good we can really be.
We go out to win and always focus on the next match. It’s nice that Georgia won today but tomorrow we will start thinking about the next match. Georgia is grateful for the fans’ support for us.”
In the post-match interview, Kvaratskhelia especially praised superstar Ronaldo even though in this match, CR7 failed: “Before the match, he came to me and wished me success. Indeed I could never have imagined that he would come and talk to me. Ronaldo is a great player, a great person.”
Kvaratskhelia received the best player of the match award and showed off Ronaldo’s shirt
“New Maradona” continued to express gratitude to CR7: “I completely respect Ronaldo. He is one of the best players in the world and a EURO legend. I received Ronaldo’s shirt and congratulations, which made me proud.”
Meanwhile, the Portuguese team had poor preparation for the knockout round. At 2:00 a.m. on July 2, Ronaldo and his teammates will face Slovenia in the 1/8 round. In the post-match press conference, coach Roberto Martinez said: “Today is proof that there are no easy matches, a perfect example. When we win, it’s not because the match was easy.
The Portuguese team faced Slovenia in a friendly match in March. They are a team that plays modernly like a club, has tight defense, and two strikers capable of influencing the match. We therefore need to be better prepared.”
