There are plenty of sides who might have been shaken here by the shock of going behind to the lowest ranked country in the tournament and the threat of a monumental upset but Spain are no ordinary team, or at least they are not playing like one. A brief scare against Georgia would ultimately prove no more than that. This was a victory that showcased so many of Spain’s attributes: fast, dynamic attacking football, of course, but also calm, patience and character.
Ahead completely against the run of play, Georgia held the lead for 21 minutes before being overwhelmed by a side that are intoxicating blend of youth and experience, pace and poise. What a treat we now have in store in Friday’s quarter-final in Stuttgart: Germany, the tournament hosts, against Spain, the tournament’s best team to date, the one everyone will probably have to beat if they want to win the thing. The subplots are tantalising: Spain’s jet-heeled Nico Williams and 16-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal - both magnificent against Georgia - up against Germany’s own young tyros Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz. Or how about Rodri v Toni Kroos, midfielders of rare intelligence. What is clear is that Germany are going to have to be good - very good - to see off this lot.
As good as Spain were, that should not detract from the gargantuan effort Georgia put in here. They will return home to a heroes welcome and with stories and tales that will live long in their memories. In Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, they have a genuine star in the making and Napoli a player they may struggle to keep out of the clutches of Paris St-Germain while their goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, has been one of the tournament’s outstanding performers. He was superb again here, but then he needed to be.
Trounced 7-1 by Spain in Tbilisi in September, it felt like Georgia were going to again by swatted aside with ease in those brutally one-sided opening exchanges. But Willy Sagnol’s side withstood the siege and, by the 18th minute, in front courtesy of Robin Le Normand’s own goal, the scoreline read 1-0 in their favour, even though they had not managed a shot on target or registered a touch inside the opposition penalty area and had seen only 12 per cent of the ball. Otar Kakabadze crossed from the right after a sweeping Georgia counter and the ball bounced up awkwardly in front of Le Normand and in. Spain could have wobbled at this point, panicked.
Dominant yet somehow down. But this is where Rodri comes into his own. At one point shortly after the half an hour mark, he could be seen urging his team-mates to calm down and keep their heads and it was fitting that he should claim the equaliser with a controlled low finish from the edge of the box, after which Spain never looked back. Williams and Yamal may have wreaked havoc on the flanks but it was Rodri who gave Spain the platform to perform.
“Rodri is a walking computer, a perfect computer who analyses all the moments in a masterful way,” Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish coach, said. “He is the axis of everything we do. He can transmit my orders o every player. He knows exactly what I want from the other players. We are privileged to count on a player like him.”
Georgia would eventually run out of energy and who could blame them when Yamal and Williams are running at you like this but for 45 minutes they gave as good as they got. And what a first half it was: a rich, vivid, pulsating contrast of styles played out against an ear-splitting din. Positions were entrenched from the outset: Spain happy to defend two on two at the back as they committed extreme numbers forward; Georgia defending from the edge of their 18-yard box but with their two brilliant attackers Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze left upfield as outlets for their dangerous, rapid fire breakaways. The approaches could not have been much different and yet there was beauty and bravery in both of them. Spain’s twin wide threat of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal was an irresistible combination. But, in Kvaratskhelia, Georgia had a rampaging, relentless presence of their own, the Napoli forward managing the rather unique distinction of looking like a bulldozer and ballerina rolled into one.
If Georgia could have held on to half-time, Spain may have got a little more concerned but the goal came at double the cost with them also losing their influential midfielder Otar Kiteishvili to injury in the process.
Williams and Yamal were simply unplayable after the restart. Yamal teed up the second with one of those gorgeously clipped crosses from the inside right channel that Fabian Ruiz headed in from just inside the six-yard box. Ruiz then turned provider for the third when he sent a raking pass from deep in behind for Williams. One on one against Giorgi Gvelesiani, the Georgia defender stood no chance and was beaten for pace before the Athletic Bilbao flyer rifled a fine into the top of the net. Substitute Dani Olmo claimed the fourth.
Roll on Friday.