Germany held by underdogs

A goal by Paul Thomik gave Germany a share of the spoils, as they had to come from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw with Georgia in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship today.

Early chance
Germany, who relied on long-ball tactics for much of the match, fashioned the first chance when Kevin Schöneberg shook off his marker on the left wing and produced a spectacular delivery that Saher Senesie fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

Iasvili the man to watch
While Germany put all their faith in Jörg Daniel's tactics, Georgia showed that they posses technical skill in abundance despite being rank outsiders to qualify for the quarter-finals. Watched by a host of club agents at the Slagelse stadium, Georgia continued to press, with playmaker Sandro Iashvili particularly impressive. Indeed, it was Iashvili who almost gave Georgia the lead, as he headed into the arms of Germany keeper René Adler after superb work by Zaali Eliava on the right flank.

Bright start
However, only seconds into the second half, Iashvili made up for his earlier miss when he rose above two German defenders to direct a powerful header into the net from the edge of the box, as Adler ventured too far from his line.

Germans seize initiative
As Iashvili and Eliava gradually ran out of stamina, Georgia allowed Germany to take the initiative. Daniel's side did intensify the pressure on Georgia and it nearly paid off when a defensive blunder created an unexpected chance for Mario Gomez, who was unfortunate to see his shot fly just wide.

Thomik on target
With time running out, the Georgian defence finally succumbed to Germany's relentless attacks, when keeper Zviad Chaladze misjudged a curling cross from the left, allowing Thomik to score from close range.