The Georgians beat Luxembourg (2-0) this Thursday in the semi-final of the Euro eliminations.
Two goals from Budu Zivzivadze gave Georgia a 2-0 home win over Luxembourg in the Euro 2024 qualifying semi-finals on Thursday, as the visitors saw a player sent off and a goal disallowed in controversial circumstances.
Neither team has ever reached the finals of a major tournament and, on a rainy night in Tbilisi, it was Georgia who came closest. It will host one of three elimination finals on Tuesday against Greece or Kazakhstan, who play later on Thursday. Luxembourg failed to gain a foothold in the match early on, as Georgia, supported by a noisy crowd, kept possession and looked to make a breakthrough, while the visitors failed to do so. to register a single shot on goal in the first half.
The first goal came five minutes before the break, when Mathias Olesen’s poor attempted header from a corner fell to Zivzivadze, who sent his first-time shot from close range into the roof of the net. Luxembourg thought they had equalized in the 53rd minute through Gerson Rodrigues but, after a VAR check for a penalty at the other end of the field, the referee sent off Maxime Chanot for a foul committed outside the area and refused the goal.
Ten minutes later, Georgia secured victory when Levan Shengelia’s cross from the left was met by Zivzivadze inside six yards and the striker found the net again to end Luxembourg’s qualification dream.
