Finland advance against shorthanded Georgia
A slew of injuries which hit Georgia hard enabled Finland to secure an easy win in the second leg of the EHF EURO 2024 relegation round, 30:23.
The Nordic outfit secured safe passage to the second phase of the EHF EURO 2024 qualifiers with a 52:45 aggregate win.
EHF EURO 2024 RELEGATION ROUND
Finland vs Georgia 30:23 (18:12)
- Giorgi Tskhovrebadze, Revaz Chanturia, Erekle Arsenashvili and Lekso Tsitelishvili, who combined for nine goals in the first leg, missed the game due to injuries
- a 5:0 run between the third and the eighth minutes served as the backbone of Finland’s flawless win
- Georgia's undoing was their meagre 37 per cent attacking efficiency, as too many attacks finished with missed shots or turnovers
- Finland goalkeeper Mikael Mäkelä, who finished with 26 saves and a 53 per cent save efficiency, had a monster game and made twice as many saves as Georgia's two goalkeepers
- Georgia have now failed to win against Finland for six competitive matches in a row, with their last win coming in the qualification phase of the 2015 IHF Men’s World Championship
Finnish heartbreak for Georgia twice in two months
Two months ago, Finland got the better of Georgia in the first qualification phase of the 2023 IHF Men's World Championship. After Finland snatched a 29:29 draw when they met, Georgia subsequently finished in third place and were eliminated from contention.
The two emerging nations locked horns once again in the EHF EURO 2024 relegation round and Finland came out on top once again, despite looking out of steam in the first leg. But a monster performance from goalkeeper Mikael Mäkelä helped the Nordic side secure a 52:45 aggregate win.
Ultimately, it was down to Georgia missing seven key players over the two legs. The most important absence over the two legs was Giorgi Tskhovrebadze in the second game. The IHF/EHF Trophy 2021 All-star right back had scored six goals in the first match. As Georgia were not the same without their star player, Finland progressed to phase 2 of the EHF EURO 2024 qualifiers.
