Georgia-Luxembourg is a match valid for the Euro 2024 qualification playoffs and is played Thursday at 6 p.m.: live TV, likely lineups, predictions.
It is a unique opportunity for both, as these are two selections that have never participated in a final stage of a European championship. Georgia came close four years ago, losing the playoff final to North Macedonia.
For Luxembourg, on the other hand, being in the playoffs is already a source of pride, since the Grand Duchy’s small national team until a few years ago was nothing more than one of those “representative-material teams” (if we can call them that) from a micro-state for whom winning a game in the qualifiers-or even avoiding defeat-is tantamount to a historic achievement. Selector Luc Holtz today is just reaping the fruits of a job that began at least a decade ago. Suffice it to say that his Luxembourg in the qualifying round won no less than five matches (twice against Bosnia, twice against Liechtenstein and once with Iceland), only three less than the eight won in the previous 117 matches in the qualifiers. The added value has been the various naturalized players, such as striker Rodrigues from Slovan Bratislava.
Against Georgia, however, center forward Sinani – now at St. Pauli in Zweite Liga – will be missing, as he is disqualified. Heavy absence since this is a player who scored 3 goals in the qualifiers.
Georgia is another selection that has grown a lot in recent years – it can count on a champion such as the Neapolitan Kvaratskhelia, who, however, will be absent due to disqualification in this semifinal – and will start as favorites despite the fact that in the group they did not excite more than that, finishing only fourth behind Spain, Scotland and Norway thanks to their Nations League placement. Only eight points in eight games for the national team led by Frenchman Willy Sagnol. The winner of this semifinal will face one of Greece or Kazakhstan, and whoever manages to break away with a pass to the German European Championship will be in the group with Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
The prediction
The field factor and greater experience will make the difference in this playoff that in any case could be less obvious than expected, especially because of the absence of Kvaratskhelia due to disqualification. Georgia favored in a match in which the number of goals is likely to be greater in the second half.
The likely lineups for Georgia-Luxembourg
GEORGIA (5-3-2): Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Kashia, Kvirkvelia, Lochoshvili, Gocholeishvili; Kvekveskiri, Chakvetadze, Kankava; Mikautadze, Kvilitaia.
LUXEMBOURG (3-4-1-2): Moris; Korac, Chanot, M. Martins; Jans, C. Martins, Barreiro, Pinto; S. Thill; Borges Sanches, Rodrigues.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0
