Spain turn on the style as Germany challenge awaits

Two sides who could scarcely have more different tactical ideas and playing styles. Two sides who have polar opposite histories, in international footballing terms, too.

- KARL MATCHETT

Spain 4

Rodri (39), Ruiz Pena (51), Williams (75), Olmo (83)

Georgia 1

Le Normand (18 og)

Georgia’s men’s side had never been to a major international tournament before this summer, let alone scored a goal or won a game. Or even, if we can entertain such fanciful notions, of reaching the knockout stage. Spain won the European Championship as recently as 2012, reached the semis last time out and were world champions only 14 years ago.

Football heritage and history isn’t only made up of the men’s Euros and World Cup, though, so the true contextual national gap is even wider: Georgia’s women have never been to a tournament either, whereas La Roja are the reigning world and Women’s Nations League champions. There is quite simply an enormous gap between the two, a chasm so large in football terms that it almost defies explanation.

But for 21 minutes at Euro 2024, there was an almighty shock on. For 21 awe-inspiring minutes, an incredible dream received the most raucous, sensational backing from the stands and one of the very biggest of favourites were truly, visibly shaken.

There’s another difference between the two nations though, and this one ultimately played to Spain’s advantage: while Georgia’s approach is heavily emotional, feeding on the frenzied support and the insatiable excitement at launching anything as mundane as a counterattack, Spain’s players are more assured and expectant, comfortable in the knowledge that the game is long and they can control most of it. That comes from experience. That comes from time at the top.