Georgia Secures Semi-Final Spot with Tense 2-1 Victory Over Malta
On the final day of the group stage, with one last semi-final ticket still unclaimed, everything narrowed onto one game: Georgia vs Malta. Ninety minutes later, Georgia had walked the tightrope, edged a tense contest 2-1, and slammed the door on the chasing pack.
No chaos. No collapse. Just enough.
Group A: Georgia finish the job
The stakes were obvious from the first whistle. Both sides knew that one mistake could end their campaign, and the opening period reflected that tension. Georgia and Malta sat in their shapes, disciplined and wary, trading territory but not chances. The sand barely saw a clean strike on goal. Goalless, but not lifeless.
The second period changed the tone. Georgia began to step higher, press braver, and the breakthrough finally arrived. Kurdadze found the opening, punishing a rare lapse to give Georgia the lead and release a wave of relief from their bench.
That goal altered everything. Malta had to come out, and as they stretched, Georgia struck again. Just before the end of the period, Lomidze doubled the advantage, steering his side into a commanding 2-0 position with one frame to play and a semi-final place suddenly within reach.
Malta refused to fold. In the third period they pushed hard, committing bodies forward and dragging the game into Georgia’s half. Bray pulled one back, igniting a late surge and flipping the pressure squarely onto the team that had looked so secure minutes earlier.
The closing stages were all about resistance. Georgia dropped deeper, blocked shots, and cleared their lines under growing strain. Malta chased, but the equaliser never came. When the horn sounded, Georgia had their 2-1 win and, with it, the final spot in the last four.
Group B: Slovakia edge England in extra-time thriller
If Group A offered control and composure, Group B delivered chaos.
England struck first in their clash with Slovakia, Hulme opening the scoring early in the first period to tilt the game their way. The response from Slovakia was sharp and ruthless. Turoň levelled, Šmálik then flipped the scoreline, and by the first break Slovakia had turned 0-1 into 2-1.
The second period became a scrap. England, chasing, were hit by an own goal that stretched Slovakia’s lead, only for Robinson to drag his side back into it and close the frame at 3-2. Every attack looked like it might decide the match; every mistake felt fatal.
The pressure finally told in the third period. Friery found England’s equaliser, forcing extra time with the sides locked at 3-3 and the momentum swinging wildly between them.
One moment settled it. In the added frame, Hrnčiar broke free and struck the decisive blow, sealing a dramatic 4-3 victory and underlining Slovakia’s resilience in a game that refused to calm down.
Latvia hold off late Azerbaijani surge
Latvia’s 3-2 win over Azerbaijan followed a different rhythm but carried the same edge.
Grīslis broke the deadlock in the first period, giving Latvia a slender 1-0 lead at the opening break. It was a platform, not a cushion, and the game opened up from there.
The second period brought goals and more risk. Orkhan hit back for Azerbaijan, only for Ģēgers to restore Latvia’s advantage and send them into the final frame 2-1 ahead, still walking a fine line.
Then came what looked like the killer blow. Sakne pushed Latvia 3-1 up in the third period, a goal that gave them the breathing space they had chased all afternoon. Azerbaijan, and Orkhan in particular, refused to go quietly. His second of the match cut the gap to 3-2 and set up a tense finish.
Latvia’s defence, though, stayed intact. They absorbed the last wave of pressure and closed out a hard-earned win that keeps their campaign alive and meaningful heading into the play-off and knockout phase.
What comes next
With Georgia joining the semi-final lineup, the picture is clear.
- Norway vs Azerbaijan
- Latvia vs Georgia
Play-offs for 5th–7th place:
- Slovakia vs England
- Malta vs England
Georgia have muscled their way into the last four. Now comes the real question: can this tight, disciplined side turn survival under pressure into something far bigger?
