Georgian tennis star Nikoloz Basilashvili took a dig at Cristiano Ronaldo after his country defeated Portugal in an EURO group fixture on Thursday, June 27. Thanks to the victory, Georgia reached the knockout stage of the European Championship for the first time in history. Ronaldo who spent more than an hour on the pitch, failed to make any impact. The Al Nassr captain invaded the opposition box several times but could not break the gritty Georgian defence.
Ronaldo was also shown a yellow card for arguing with the referee following contact in the penalty area. The former Real Madrid man was subbed off in the second half with Goncalo Ramos replacing him in the forward line. Ronaldo looked quite disappointed while leaving the field. He vented out his frustration by kicking a water bottle before taking his place on the bench.
After Georgia notched a 2-0 win in the EURO clash, Basilashvili dropped an Instagram story, mocking Ronaldo. “Can someone tell me why Cristiano is crying after every chance he misses?” the 32-year-old tennis icon wrote.
Georgia wrapped up the EURO group stage with four points. The Crusaders qualified for the Round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams. Georgia could not make a desired start to their EURO campaign and endured a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Turkey in the opening game. They were up against the Czech Republic in the next assignment and managed a 1-1 draw.
Georgia took an early lead against Portugal, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia breaking the deadlock only two minutes into the game. Georges Mikautadze made it 2-0 for Georgia in the second half, converting a penalty. In their historic appearance in the EURO Round of 16, Georgia will take on an unbeaten Spain on July 1 in Cologne.
Meanwhile, Portugal reached the knockouts as a table-topper despite the shocking defeat to Georgia. The Ronaldo-led side won the first two matches of the continental showpiece. They beat Czechia 2-1 before notching a commanding 3-0 victory over Turkey. Portugal will meet Slovenia in the Round of 16 fixture, which will take place in Frankfurt on July 2.
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