Patrik Schick salvages draw for Czechs against gutsy Georgia

HAMBURG – Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick handed his team a lifeline with his equaliser against Georgia on June 22 salvaging a 1-1 draw in a Euro 2024 Group F match.

While the result at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, it also means that the Czechs, who have only one point from two matches, will need a good result in their final game against Turkey on June 26 to advance to the round of 16.

Tournament debutants Georgia, who have a similar record after earning their first point of the competition, will also need to upset Portugal in their next game to reach the next round.

While Schick’s close-range 59th-minute leveller may have been nowhere near his spectacular 45.5m strike against Scotland in 2021 – officially the farthest from which a European Championship goal has been scored – it could yet help the Czechs go the distance in Germany.

Schick said later: “Of course, 1-1 is not enough for us. We were better, we had more chances. In the end we were able to equalise.

“We were going at them but we were not able to score a second goal and in the end we made a stupid mistake and could have lost. We have a point. We have to play for everything (in our last match).”

“We had enough balls, centres. We were dangerous, we did not play badly going forward.”

The Czechs had come close on many occasions but found Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, the Man of the Match, a major stumbling block.

Czech coach Ivan Hasek, who led the team to the quarter-finals of the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020, handed starts to forward Adam Hlozek and winger Vaclav Cerny, both of whom were unused substitutes in their 2-1 defeat by Portugal on June 18.

It nearly paid dividends in the 23rd minute with Hlozek bundling the ball into the net, but the effort was disallowed after a VAR (video assistant referee) review for handball.

Hlozek’s first effort was saved by Mamardashvili, with the rebound hitting the Bayer Leverkusen forward in the face and then his arm before crossing the line.

Georgia, who defended stoutly and launched counter-attacks at the Czech defence, then took the lead in first-half stoppage time.

Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek saved brilliantly from Georgia captain Guram Kashia, but the VAR spotted a handball by defender Robin Hranac in the build-up and the referee awarded a penalty.

Georges Mikautadze dispatched it confidently to give his side the lead at the interval, but not before Mamardashvili brilliantly saved low from Schick, who was the joint top scorer of Euro 2020 with Cristiano Ronaldo on five goals apiece.

Schick then came close again before diverting the ball over the line with his chest after substitute Ondrej Lingr’s header from a corner had come back off the far post.

They almost took the lead in similar fashion when Ladislav Krejci directed another header narrowly wide.

Schick’s strike took him ahead of Milan Baros as their top Euro scorer with six goals, but the Leverkusen forward limped off with an apparent calf injury midway through the second half.

Georgia had a glorious chance right at the end to win the game but at the end of a three-on-one break, substitute Saba Lobjanidze blazed over with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Hasek lamented their inability to score the second goal. “Twenty-six attempts speak for themselves,” he said. “We have to admit we were glad that our opponents did not convert their chance on the counter in the last minute.” 

Georgia coach Willy Sagnol said they were disappointed not to have won, adding: “Against Portugal, we will play with ambition... but of course we know it’s going to be difficult.” REUTERS