Despite lacking Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s presence upfront, Georgia exerted their influence from the outset and came painfully close to drawing first blood twice midway through the half via Budu Zivzivadze.
But for the woodwork, the Karlsruher forward would’ve seen his intricate play alongside Giorgi Chakvetadze pay dividends with the first chance, before the second saw him net after illegally stealing the ball off Luxembourg shot-stopper Anthony Moris.
Zivzivadze earned a caution after seeing his goal disallowed, but Luc Holtz’s men eventually succumbed to the Crusaders before the interval. Shortly after Otar Kakabadze forced Moris into a brilliant point-blank save, Zivzivadze’s predatory instincts bore fruit from mere yards away in the form of an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net.
In a shocking turn of events after the restart, the Red Lions thought they had equalised from Gerson Rodrigues’ stunning finish from inside the box. However, their celebrations were crushed abruptly when Spanish referee Jose María Sanchez denied the leveller and – after a VAR review – instead punished a cynical foul earlier at the other end by Maxime Chanot. Reacting to the decision angrily, an infuriated Chanot immediately saw a straight red card.
With Luxembourg down to 10 men, it was only a question of when Georgia would net a killer blow, and not before long, Zivzivadze soon doubled Georgia’s lead with a simple tap-in after receiving a pass from Levan Shengelia.
The onus now rested with Luxembourg to overturn a two-goal deficit going into the final minutes, but Zivzivadze’s brace had all but done the damage, sealing Willy Sagnol’s men a fourth successive unbeaten home game since Spain battered them by a 7-1 scoreline in September 2023.
Georgia will march on to face either Greece or Kazakhstan early next week for a place in Germany. Meanwhile, Luxembourg bowed out with their heads held high despite Chanot’s actions. The Euro 2024 qualifying campaign represents a minor success in itself for a nation once seen as mere cannon fodder, after five commendable victories – more than in their previous six Euro qualifying cycles combined – helped them finish third in Group J.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Budu Zivzivadze (Georgia)
