World Soccer - UK (2020-12)

Overview
Whatever the outcome at the Boris
Paichadze stadium in Tbilisi, history
will be made, with the European finals
welcoming a brand-new contestant.
These two countries, independent for
less than 30 years, are no strangers
to each other on the football stage.
Indeed, this final will be their third
meeting in just three months, following
on from a1-1 Nations League draw in
Tbilisi in September and the return
fixture in Skopje in October. Such
familiarity – plus, of course, the Holy
Grail prize on offer – could well
produce a cagey, tense encounter.
North Macedonia coach, Igor
Angelovski, who has been in charge for
exactly five years, will be aiming to mark
the anniversary with a career-defining
opus. Some North Macedonia fans
complain that his side does not play
with enough flair or freedom. But as
he proved when leading the team to a
great Nations League run in 2018-19

• winning five games out of six to gain
  promotion from League D to League C


• he knows how to get results. Georgia
  boss Vladimir Weiss already has shown
  himself to be an expert in expeditions of
  discovery, leading Slovakia to their very

first international tournament

(the 2010 World Cup).

Key battle

By common consent his team’s most

competent defender, Georgia centre-

back Solomon Kvirkvelia will have a

most delicate mission on his hands,

Georgia v North Macedonia

tasked with neutralising wily old North

Macedonian second striker and skipper

Goran Pandev. The 37-year-old Pandev,

still going strong in Italy’s Serie A for

Genoa, would just love to end his

playing days on an Everest-like high at

the European finals. Kvirkvelia, 28, has

been a Russian Premier League stand-

out for the last three or four years,

starring for Rubin Kazan, Lokomotiv

Moscow and latterly Rotor Volgograd.

Talking point

Will Vladimir Weiss be brave enough

to select both of his young dribbling

machines, Rubin Kazan winger Khvicha

Kvaratskhelia and Gent attacking

midfielder Giorgi Chakvetadze? While

Kvaratskhelia figured prominently in the

semi-final play-off win over Belarus,

Chakvetadze did not even make the

bench. In tandem, the pair could cause

absolute mayhem.

Meanwhile, Igor Angelovski has

something of a goalkeeping dilemma.

His usual number one Stole Dimitrievski

is currently only a bench-warmer for

Spanish second tier club Rayo Vallecano.

Napoli and Macedonia midfield gem

Eljif Elmas should be available after

a positive COVID-19 test.

WORLD SERVICE

EURO 2020 PLAY-OFFS PREVIEW | PATH D

Veteran...Goran Pandev

Dribbler...Giorgi

Chakvetadze runs

at Egzon Bejtulai of

North Macedonia