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So, this was the night Georgia advanced to the last 16 in their first appearance at major tournament courtesy of a magnificent victory over Portugal and one that will live long in the memory of the thousands of supporters who were here to witness history. There will be a rich tapestry of lasting images from this win but the sight of Georgia’s substitutes’ bench emptying, reserve goalkeepers Giorgi Loria and Luka Gugeshashvili, too, streaming to mob Georges Mikautadze after his penalty earned a two-goal buffer is hard to top. Guram Kashia looked to the skies, kissed his wrist and beat his chest.

Willy Sagnol, wearing a plain-white T-shirt, merely clenched his left fist. It is fair to say the celebrations back home and among those who made the trip will be rather more unrestrained. Where to start with arguably the greatest underdog story at a European Championship since Wales went deep into the tournament at Euro 2016 or Iceland knocked out England the same summer.



Georgia will play Spain in the last 16. They couldn’t, could they? It would be easy to linger on the petulance of Cristiano Ronaldo, who booted a water bottle down the touchline in anger after being withdrawn midway through the second half. But then that would be to ignore the endearing brilliance of this Georgia team; the dancing feet of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the brute strength of Kashia, a warrior and a leader.

Kvaratskhelia had suggested the likelihood of a Georgia victory could be as little as 1%. On the b.

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