Dani Olmo’s injury time strike gave Georgia a 2–1 victory on Sunday as the 2010 World Champion gained his campaign to qualify and run for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Loria could only help Olmo strike from the top 25 meters to the top corner as pressure from Spain’s second half paid off and a large crowd was silenced inside Tbilisi’s Boris Pachadez Stadium.
With Ferran Torres already equalized for Spain in the second half, Manchester City canceled out Khwicha Karvatskhelia’s opener before the fifties by scoring a fifth goal for her country from six goals.
But RB Leipzig’s final goal for Olmo was crucial for Luis Enrique, who were held 1–1 at home by Greece in their first qualifier on Thursday.
The result also sees Spain extend their remarkable record of losing in a 65 World Cup qualifier going back 28 years to a 1–0 defeat in Denmark in March 1993.
They continue their Group B campaign at home in Kosovo in Seville on Wednesday.
Luis Enrique made seven changes to his team from the Greece match with Pedro Porro on loan to Portuguese league leaders Sporting from Manchester City, making the first change in his team.
There is also the first time Barcelona starts for midfielder Pedri and for 20-year-old forward Brian Gill, on loan from Seila to Iber this season. Both made their debut as substitutes against Greece.
Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon maintained his place in the goal and made a crucial save to keep out an 18th-minute header from Guram Kasia.
Georgia are 89th in the world and did not win a single game in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, but they were claiming first wins here under new coach Willie Sagnol, former Bayern Munich and France defender.
He was rewarded for a lively first-half performance with a goal a minute before the interval, as Otar Keitivilli defeated 20-year-old Rubin Kazan winger Karvatsakhelia, who scored a touch in the far corner and fired low.
Luis Enrique made two changes at the break, sending Olmo for Gilroy and replacing Leeds United center-back Diego Llorente with Inigo Martinez.
The visitors improved in the second half and dropped the level in the 56th minute when Torres turned into a low cross from Jordan’s Alba’s left.
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However it looked like they would have to compromise for a point until Olmo was hit in the second minute of extra time.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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