The official website for European football

Spain record resounding win in Georgia

Published: Thursday 1 September 2011, 22.27CET
Georgia 2-7 Spain
Rodrigo scored a hat-trick on his debut as the holders began their qualifying Group 5 campaign with a thumping away victory.
Spain record resounding win in Georgia
Rodrigo (left) struck a quickfire hat-trick in Kutaisi ©Getty Images
 

Matches

Road to the final

The 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship comprises a qualifying group stage and play-off round to determine which seven teams join hosts Israel in the final tournament.

Qualifying group stage

Teams are split into ten groups – two of six teams and eight of five – and play each other on a home and away basis. The ten group winners and four runners-up with the best record against the teams first, third, fourth and fifth in their sections advance to the play-offs.

Play-offs
Play-off matches are played according to the knockout system, with each team playing each opponent home and away. The team which scores the greater aggregate of goals qualifies for the next round, with away goals, extra time and then penalties used to determine the winner in the event of a draw.

Final tournament
The final tournament comprises the seven play-off winners and Israel, who qualify automatically as hosts. The eight teams are split into two groups of four. Each team plays each other once in their group with the winners and runners-up advancing to the semi-finals where the winner of Group A plays the Group B runner-up and vice-versa. The winners advance to the final.

Further details, including the criteria for separating teams that finish level on points in a group, can be found in the official competition regulations.

Published: Thursday 1 September 2011, 22.27CET

Spain record resounding win in Georgia

Georgia 2-7 Spain
Rodrigo scored a hat-trick on his debut as the holders began their qualifying Group 5 campaign with a thumping away victory.

Winners in Denmark during the summer, Spain got the defence of their UEFA European Under-21 Championship title off to an emphatic start in Georgia thanks in part to a hat-trick from debutant Rodrigo.

The SL Benfica striker, a scorer of three goals at the recent FIFA U-20 World Cup, continued his rich vein of form with a 19-minute hat-trick before the break. Isco had set Luis Milla's men on their way inside two minutes and struck his second, La Roja's third, midway through the first half.

A free-kick from Sergio Canales made it 6-0 by half-time, after which the holders eased up somewhat, an own goal from Iñigo Martínez reducing Georgia's arrears on 52 minutes. Canales then provided the cross for Marc Bartra to head number seven, though it was Otar Gabelia's team who had the final say when Nika Kvekveskiri beat David de Gea from long range late on.

Last updated: 09/05/13 11.12CET

Related information

Player profiles
Team profiles
Related match

http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2013/matches/round=2000192/match=2006882/postmatch/report/index.html#spain+emphatic+start

Lineups

Georgia

Georgia

Spain

Spain

1
MakaridzeGiorgi Makaridze (GK)
1
De GeaDavid de Gea (GK) (C)
3
KverkveliaSolomon Kverkvelia
2
MalloMallo
4
TarkhnishviliTornike Tarkhnishvili
3
PlanasCarles Planas
5
JishkarianiNikoloz Jishkariani
Substitution46
4
BartraMarc Bartra
Goal61
7
DzalamidzeNika Dzalamidze
Substitution67
5
AmatJordi Amat
Substitution31
9
ShekiladzeIrakli Shekiladze
6
Oriol RomeuOriol Romeu
10
MchedlidzeLevan Mchedlidze
7
MuniainIker Muniain
11
ChanturiaGiorgi Chanturia
Substitution76
8
IllarramendiAsier Illarramendi
Substitution58
15
ApakidzeNikoloz Apakidze
Yellow Card55
9
RodrigoRodrigo
Goal11
Goal29
Goal30
16
KvekveskiriNika Kvekveskiri
Goal87
10
CanalesSergio Canales
Goal39
18
KakubavaLevan Kakubava (C)
11
IscoIsco
Goal3
Goal21
Substitution63

Substitutes

12
ZarkuaTornike Zarkua (GK)
13
MariñoDiego Mariño (GK)
2
BratchuliAvtandil Bratchuli
12
NachoNacho
6
IoselianiGivi Ioseliani
Substitution46
Yellow Card61
14
Iñigo MartínezIñigo Martínez
Substitution31
Goal52
8
BeglarishviliZakaria Beglarishvili
15
Sergi RobertoSergi Roberto
13
KobaliaIrakli Kobalia
16
TelloCristian Tello
14
OkriashviliTornike Okriashvili
Substitution67
17
Juan CarlosJuan Carlos
Substitution58
17
KazaishviliValeri Kazaishvili
Substitution76
18
Álvaro VázquezÁlvaro Vázquez
Substitution63
Yellow Card74

Coach

Otar Gabelia (GEO) Luis Milla (ESP)

Referee

Stuart Attwell (ENG)

Assistant referees

Stuart Burt (ENG), Simon Long (ENG)

Fourth official

Kevin Friend (ENG)

Legend:

  • GoalsGoals
  • Own goalOwn goal
  • PenaltiesPenalties
  • Missed PenaltiesMissed Penalties
  • reds_cardRed Cards
  • yellow_cardsYellow cards
  • yellow_red_cardsYellow/red card
  • SubstitutionSubstitution

See also

  • Georgia

    Next match played Under-21: v Spain, 05 September 2011, 2-0
  • Spain

    Next match played Under-21: v Georgia, 05 September 2011, 2-0
  • © 1998-2013 UEFA. All rights reserved.
  • The UEFA word, the UEFA European Under-21 Championship logo and trophy are protected by trade marks and/or copyright of UEFA. No use for commercial purposes may be made of such trade marks. Use of UEFA.com signifies your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.