Two quarter-final debutants at the Under-21 Euro 2023 Championships prepare for an intriguing clash on Saturday evening, as Georgia Under-21s meet Israel Under-21s at the Boris Paichadze Stadium.
The Crusaders remarkably topped Group A to progress to the last eight of their home tournament, while the Young Chosen Team bagged second place in Group C behind England.
Match preview
Making waves at international level is not limited to Georgia's senior stars, as the Under-21 crop - who previously tried and failed 14 times to make it to the Euros finals - can still dream of continental stardom after an unexpected unbeaten group-stage run.
Many had written Ramaz Svanadze's men off when glancing at the calibre of opposition they faced in Group A - the Netherlands, Belgium and 2021 runners-up Portugal - but a tally of five points from nine on offer saw Georgia finish as top dogs, one point better off than the latter nation.
A 1-1 draw versus the Netherlands on matchday three was sufficient to see them through to their maiden knockout appearance, as Zuriko Davitashvili broke the deadlock before Kenneth Taylor restored parity for Jong Oranje six minutes into first-half injury time, but a steadfast Georgian backline otherwise quelled 25 shots from the Dutch to send them packing.
Now unbeaten in six successive matches across all competitions and scoring once in each of their last seven games, Georgia have proven more than capable of holding their own without Serie A MVP Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - who turned down the chance to go for Euro Under-21 glory - and the time is nigh for other breakthrough stars to etch their name into the history books.
A daunting clash with England or reunion with Portugal will be on the cards in the semi-finals if Georgia can come up trumps on Saturday evening, but their fellow trailblazers Israel harbour similar ambitions after sneaking into the quarters against the odds.
Promoting a few players to the Under-21s after the Under-19s lost their continental showpiece match to England last year, Israel's fledgling continental experience was on full display during their meeting with the Czech Republic, who arguably went into their Group C finale as favourites.
Defeat to England and a draw with Germany - albeit a praiseworthy one - left the Young Chosen Team on the brink of a third successive group-stage exit, but Guy Luzon's side kept the Czechs at bay and struck in the 82nd minute through Omri Gandelman to upset the apple cart.
As England rode off into the sunset and holders Germany exited with a whimper, Israel pipped the Czech Republic to second place by a solitary point to qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history, having previously fallen at the first hurdle in 2007 and 2013.
Victory over the Czech Republic snapped a six-game winless sequence for Israel in all competitions, but their final triumph before that miserable run began was a 2-1 success versus Georgia in a September friendly - their second win from three games at Under-21 level against their fellow semi-final hopefuls.
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Team News
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With no injuries or suspensions bedevilling them at this moment in time, Georgia should not stray away from their cautious five-man defensive setup, which has allowed them to flaunt every inch of their rearguard nous.
Having returned to his homeland a little later than his other teammates due to senior commitments, Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili was initially kept in reserve, but the much-coveted goalkeeper has regained his rightful place and will no doubt start here.
The same can be said for Davitashvili - who scored his first goal for the Under-21s on Tuesday, having already netted four times for the senior team - so Giorgi Guliashvili, the leading scorer in the setup with eight efforts, may be consigned to another cameo role.
In contrast, Israel have lost left-back Roy Revivo to suspension after he collected his second yellow card of the tournament against the Czech Republic, so Ziv Morgan - the oldest player in the squad - should deputise in the backline.
The Young Chosen Team are otherwise well-stocked for Saturday's showdown and ought to stick with the 4-4-2 setup that paid dividends against the Czech Republic, as Dor Turgeman and Idan Gorno link arms in a newly-formed strike partnership.
Georgia Under-21s possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Gocholeishvili, Gelashvili, Kalandadze, Sazonov, Azarovi; Tsitaishvili, Gagnidze, Mekvabishvili, Davitashvili; Gagua
Israel Under-21s possible starting lineup:
Peretz; Jaber, Lemkin, Cohen, Morgan; Gloukh, Gandelman, Karzev, Azoulay; Turgeman, Gorno
We say: Georgia Under-21s 1-0 Israel Under-21s
When the going gets tough, both Georgia and Israel prided themselves on rearguard solidity during their group-stage affairs, and the latter in particular may struggle to breach the Crusaders' well-marshalled backline.
Neither quarter-final debutant is here by accident, of course, but having already thwarted three of Europe's big boys with the home crowd behind them, we have faith in Georgia to continue their magical run and inflict more continental misery on Israel's juniors.
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