Under-21 Group C: France vs Georgia facts

Early Group C pacesetters Georgia will look to continue their winning start to the UEFA European Under-21 Championship when they take on France at the MŠK Žilina Stadium on Matchday 2.

While France shared a 0-0 draw with Portugal in the opening round of fixtures, Georgia seized the initial advantage in the section thanks to Vasilios Gordeziani's 94th-minute goal that earned a 2-1 victory against Poland, Nodar Lominadze having given them the lead ten minutes after half-time.

Previous European U21 Championship meetings

Matches 2
France wins 2
Georgia wins 0
Draws 0
France goals 5
Georgia goals 2

The teams' only previous competitive fixtures came in the 2021 qualifying competition, when France won 3-2 at home and 2-0 away. Jeff Reine-Adélaïde scored early in each half (15, 54) at Stade Marcel Picot in Nancy on 15 November 2019 but two goals in three minutes from Giorgi Kokhreidze (58) and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (60) hauled Georgia level only for Odsonne Édouard to decisively restore France's lead from the penalty spot two minutes into added time.

An Ilia Beriashvili own goal (38) and another added-time Édouard penalty (90+3) gave France the points at Gori's Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium on 4 September 2020.

France were 5-1 winners in the sides' only other U21 fixture, at Stade Océane in Le Havre on 6 October 2016, thanks to goals from Jean-Kevin Augustin (19), Corentin Tolisso (24), Sébastien Haller (60) and – after Giorgi Kharaishvili's 69th-minute reply for Georgia – Moussa Dembélé (74) and Vincent Koziello (85).

Form guide

France

Champions in 1988 with a squad including Laurent Blanc, Eric Cantona, Franck Sauzée and Jocelyn Angloma, this is France's eighth appearance in the final tournament and fourth in a row.

Having missed out for six successive tournaments from 2007 onwards, France got to the semi-finals on their return in 2019 and the quarter-finals two years later. France have qualified five times since a group stage was introduced in 2000, and have reached the knockout rounds on each occasion.

In 2023, a team coached by Sylvain Ripoll finished first in Group D, winning all three games, scoring seven goals and conceding two, before losing 3-1 to Ukraine in the last eight.

France kicked off qualifying for the 2025 finals under Thierry Henry, Gérald Baticle taking over in August 2024.

Les Bleuets were second to Slovenia in qualifying Group H (W5 D1 L2), progressing as one of the three best runners-up.

Arnaud Kalimuendo was France's top scorer in qualifying with four goals.

Georgia

This is the first time Georgia have got through qualifying or even reached the play-offs, but they made their finals debut as co-hosts in 2023.

Two years ago Georgia topped their group ahead of Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium before losing on penalties to Israel in front of a U21 EURO record 44,338 crowd in Tbilisi – not the first time they had set a new best at the Paichadze Stadium in the course of the tournament.

This time round Ramaz Svanadze's team were second to Netherlands in qualifying Group C, picking up 19 points from their ten games (W6 D1 L3). They then beat Croatia 7-6 on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw in the play-offs (1-0 h, 2-3 a aet).

Nodar Lominadze was Georgia's top scorer in qualifying with three goals.

The Matchday 1 win against Poland means Georgia are still unbeaten in group games at the final tournament (W2 D2).

Links and trivia

Have played together:
Thierno Barry & Gabriel Sigua (Basel 2023/24)

Jean-Mattéo Bahoya was a second-half substitute as Eintracht Frankfurt won 1-0 at home to RFS in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League on 24 October 2024; Lasha Odisharia started for the Latvian visitors.