After losing to Montenegro in the first match, the Georgian team managed to beat Cyprus and kept chance to make through to elite round.
Giorgi Devdariani, head coach of U-19 team, made some changes in lineup. Lado Mokhevishvili, Akaki Shulaia and Roman Chanturia were on the field from the first minute of the match.
The hosts gained territorial advantage from the beginning. In the middle of the half Zarandia kicked ball from right corner and Kiteishvili scored goal with headshot. The Georgians did not stop – Zarandia assisted Kerdzevadze who kicked the ball but Cypriot goalkeeper saved his team.
10 minutes before the end of the first half Kiteishvili had a good chance to score goal but he missed the target.
The Cypriots had a chance to equalize score at the end of the half but the Georgian goalkeeper saved our team.
At the end of the first half Kerdzevadze and the Cypriot goalkeeper had a clash but referee and the players calmed down the situation.
10 minutes after the second half Zarandia was in penalty area but missed the target. Later Gagi Margvelashvili and Chanturia could not score headshots.
In the middle of the second half Kiteishvili assisted Chanturia but the opponent defender did not let him kick the ball.
At the 68th minute Mokhevishvili took a free kick and advanced the Georgian team – 2:0.
At the 72nd minute defence of the Georgian team failed and Giorgos Katsiati scored goal.
At the 83rd minute Christos Wheeler committed foul on Giorgi Arabidze in the penalty area and referee awarded penalty. Zarandia scored it.
The Georgian U-19 team will hold the last match against Romania on October 13.
At the post-match press conference Giorgi Devdariani complaint about the unused moments:
“Today’s match showed again that we have problem in the final phase. We missed some good moments. We lacked defenders Tabidze and Tevzadze. Shulaia and Chabradze are midfielders and they played in defence. However, this composition worked. In the next match we will try to improve mistakes. Beridze can play great football. Mokhevishvili played well and our team adopted a good player. Zarandia was having treatment a month and half and he started practicing 10 days before the start of the season. Zarandia can do more”.
Georgia – Cyprus 3:1 (1:0)
October 10. Tbilisi. Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.
Georgia: Goshadze, Malania, Margvelashvili, Chabradze, Mokhevishvili, Kharaishvili, Kiteishvili (Arabidze, 73), Zarandia (Meskhi, 87), Kerdzevadze (cap.) (Beridze, 65), Roman Chanturia, Shulaia.
Head coach: Giorgi Devdariani.
Cyprus: Tasouris, Kousoulos, Wheeler, Katelaris, Fragkeskou (cap.), Lillis (Charalampous, 57), Fragkou, Konstantinou (Charalambous, 53), Panagi, Christodoulou (Mouzouros, 72), Katsiati.
Head coach: Renos Demetriades.
Goals:b>1:0 Kiteishvili (20), 2:0 Mokhevishvili (68), 2:1 Katsiati (72), 3:1 Zarandia (83)
Yellow cards:b>Wheeler (32), Chabradze (43), Mokhevishvili-Chikviladze (49), Kousoulos (77), Tasouris (82), Katelaris (86), Meskhi (89)
Referee: Petr Ardeleanu (Czech Republic)
Lasha Tabagari
