Georgia — Ukraine: will the Ukrainians continue their winning start?
On September 28, Ukraine will play their second match in the new Nations League campaign. Their opponents will be Georgia, with the game taking place in Tbilisi at the Boris Paichadze Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 Kyiv time.
The «Blue and Yellows» head into the match in good spirits. In the opening round, Ukraine edged Hungary 1-0 in a hard-fought encounter. Danylo Sikan scored the only goal as Andrea Maldera's team began the tournament with three points. Now the Ukrainians face a much tougher away trip, with the atmosphere in the stands likely to be an additional factor.
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Georgia, meanwhile, made a very different start. The team suffered a 0-1 home defeat to Northern Ireland and immediately found themselves in a situation where dropping points is no longer desirable. Moreover, following the disappointing opening result, Willy Sagnol stepped down as head coach, with Ramaz Svanadze taking charge of the national team. As a result, the match against Ukraine will be the new manager's first at the helm of Georgia.
The main threat to Ukraine's defence is, of course, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Georges Mikautadze is another player to watch in attack, while Giorgi Mamardashvili starts in goal for Georgia. At the same time, after the defeat to Northern Ireland, the Georgians will need to improve above all in their finishing.
Ukraine will surely look to play more pragmatically than they did in Budapest: keep possession, exploit the space between the lines and make use of the pace of their attacking players. For Maldera, this is also an opportunity to prove that the strong start was no fluke and collect points on the road.
Every point will be precious in this group. Ukraine already have three points, while Georgia are still without a single one. The hosts need a response, while the visitors will be aiming to build on what they started in Hungary. That is why the match in Tbilisi promises to be highly tense and anything but a formality.
My prediction: both teams to score - yes.
