Georgia secure semi-final spot with gritty win over Malta

Georgia finished the group stage with exactly what they came for: a place in the last four and a performance built on grit rather than glamour. Under the pressure of a winner-takes-all clash with Malta, they edged a tight 2-1 contest to claim the final semi-final ticket and complete the knockout lineup.

Group A: Georgia grind past Malta

With so much riding on it, the opening period between Georgia and Malta felt cagey, almost tense. Both sides sat in their structures, neither willing to blink first. Chances were scarce, tackles were not. The first 12 minutes passed without a breakthrough, the goalless frame reflecting two teams more afraid of the mistake than eager for the moment.

Georgia changed that mood in the second period.

Kurdadze broke the stalemate, finally piercing Malta’s resistance and tilting the tie. The goal released some of the strain in Georgian shoulders and, crucially, forced Malta to open up. Just as Malta tried to push higher, they were punished again. Lomidze struck before the end of the period, doubling the lead and giving Georgia a 2-0 cushion that felt huge in a game this tight.

Malta refused to drift quietly out of contention. The third period brought a surge of intent, and Bray’s goal dragged them back into the contest and shifted the tone of the closing minutes. Malta threw bodies forward, Georgia dropped deeper, and every clearance drew a roar from the Georgian bench.

The pressure rose, but the door never fully opened. Georgia’s back line held firm, absorbing the late storm to close out the 2-1 win and with it the final semi-final berth. The job was done; the route now runs through Latvia in the last four.

Group B: Slovakia outlast England in extra-time thriller

If Georgia’s progress was about control, Slovakia’s was all about survival.

England struck first, Hulme putting them ahead early in the opening period and setting the tempo for a wide-open contest. Slovakia did not take long to answer. Turoň levelled, Šmálik turned the game on its head, and by the first break Slovakia had spun a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.

The second period crackled with tension. England’s task became even tougher when an own goal stretched Slovakia’s advantage, yet Robinson’s response kept his side in touch, trimming the score to 3-2 by the end of the frame. Every attack felt like it might decide it.

The third period brought the twist England needed. Friery found the equaliser, dragging the game into extra time at 3-3 and shifting the psychological weight onto Slovakia, who had already seen one lead vanish.

Extra time demanded a hero. Hrnčiar stepped up, striking the decisive goal that finally broke England’s resistance and sealed a 4-3 victory. Slovakia had been pushed to the edge, but they walked away with the win and a place in the 5th–7th place playoffs.

Latvia edge Azerbaijan in tight contest

Latvia’s 3-2 win over Azerbaijan was a slow burn that never quite exploded, yet never lost its edge.

Grīslis opened the scoring in the first period, his clinical finish handing Latvia a narrow 1-0 lead at the first break. It was the sort of goal that changes the rhythm of a game: Azerbaijan had to chase, Latvia could manage the moments.

The second period saw both sides sharpen up in front of goal. Orkhan levelled for Azerbaijan, a deserved response, only for Ģēgers to restore Latvia’s advantage and send them into the final frame 2-1 up and looking composed.

The pressure finally told in Latvia’s favour early in the third. Sakne added a third, giving Latvia the cushion they had been searching for and forcing Azerbaijan into all-out attack. Orkhan struck again to complete his brace and drag the score back to 3-2, setting up a tense finish, but Latvia’s defence refused to yield. They saw it out, securing a hard-earned victory and a semi-final date with Georgia.

What comes next

The group stage has cleared the stage for the knockouts. Georgia, hardened by a must-win battle, now face a confident Latvia side that showed both composure and cutting edge. On the other side, Norway meet Azerbaijan in a semi-final that promises a clash of styles and nerve.

Behind them, Slovakia and England will cross paths again in the 5th–7th place playoffs, with Malta also in the mix.

The semi-final places are finally settled. The question now is who can turn survival form into trophy form when the stakes rise again.