Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has hyped his teammate and talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ahead of their EURO 2024 Round-of-16 clash with two-time European champions Spain. The Valencia goalkeeper has boldly claimed the Napoli winger is “better than all of Spain.”
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Delivered A Masterclass In 2-0 Win Over Portugal
After helping Georgia qualify for the European Championship for the first time in their history, Kvaratskhelia guided them to the Round of 16 with a stellar display against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Matchday 3 of Group F.
Just two minutes into the game, Kvaratskhelia fired the underdogs in front, applying a stunning finish from the left side of the box. Kvaratskhelia also did a superb job of applying pressure on Portuguese defenders, creating spaces for his teammates to run into.
Kvaratskhelia took home the Man of the Match Award for his inspiring performance, becoming the first Georgian to claim it in a major cup competition.
Giorgi Mamardashvili Sends Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Warning Ahead Of Spain Clash
Thanks to their stunning 2-0 victory over Portugal, Georgia will face Spain in the EURO 2024 Round of 16. Having won all three of their Group B fixtures, La Roja are the favorites to progress, but Georgia goalkeeper Mamardashvili has warned they have a trump card up their sleeves.
When asked to assess the threat of Kvaratskhelia, Mamardashvili told Spanish outlet MARCA:
“I think he is better than all of Spain.”
Despite talking up the left-winger, the goalkeeper is not making the mistake of underestimating Spain.
He added:
“For me, Spain are the big favorite to win the Euros. Georgia, on the other hand, is a small country, but with a big heart and we have to fight as hard as possible to see what happens.”
Discussing the threats to his goal, Mamardashvili continued:
“Almost everyone. Yamal has a lot of quality: he scores goals, gives assists… They also have, in my opinion, the best goalkeeper of the season in La Liga. We will have to fight and remain focused, at this level, as we have been up to now.”
Georgia will take on Spain at the RheinEnergieStadion on Sunday night (June 30). The winners will face either Germany or Denmark in the quarter-finals.