Georgia vs Spain: Preview, Betting Tips, Stats & Prediction

Ace Football previews the World Cup qualifier between Georgia and Spain, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.

Spain head to Georgia on Sunday evening looking to bag a first win of their 2022 World Cup qualification campaign.

The visitors are down in third place in the Group B table following a 1-1 draw with Greece in their opener, while Georgia sit rock-bottom in fifth upon losing 1-0 to table-toppers Sweden.

Willy Sagnol’s side has shown promise, though, and will hope to make home advantage count, but will that be enough? Spain are arguably a step up from Sweden in terms of quality and will be determined to bag that first win.

Georgia Form & Stats

Former Bayern Munich and France full-back Willy Sagnol is Georgia’s newest manager. The 44-year-old’s aim is to lead the national team to the World Cup or European Championship finals for the first time. But given the competition in Group B, qualifying for Qatar may prove an arduous task.

Still, while Sagnol’s debut ended in a 1-0 defeat, Georgia impressed in a heavily changed line-up in Sweden. The Crusaders threatened early on the break and created some decent chances in the second half. In the end, though, Viktor Claesson’s first-half goal, assisted by the returning Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was what counted.

The loss extended Georgia’s winless run to six matches in all competitions (D3 L3). The hosts, ranked 88th in FIFA’s world rankings, have only won once across their last three World Cup qualification campaigns (D7 L11). And in opposition like Spain, a team they’ve never defeated, hopes of ending that barren record appear unlikely.

Key Team Stats

• On a 6-match winless run in all competitions (D3 L3).
• Won only 1 of their last 19 World Cup qualifiers (D7 L11).
• Lost to nil in each of their last 3 games against Spain in all competitions.
• Undefeated in 18 of their last 21 home games in all competitions (W11 D6).

Spain Form & Stats

La Roja ended their Nations League group-stage campaign with a stunning 6-0 win over Germany. Another comfortable win, therefore, was expected in a largely one-sided affair against Greece on Thursday.

Despite Alvaro Morata’s first-half opener, Spain’s inability to finish their opponents cost them dearly. They dominated possession and had the lion’s share of opportunities, while Greece played deep and tried to attack on the break. In fact, the Greeks only had one shot in Granada. Anastasios Bakasetas’ second-half penalty, however, was enough to bag a surprise 1-1 draw.

For Spain, who have been present at every World Cup since 1974, it was a disappointing result. Luis Enrique’s men have only won three of their last nine games in all competitions (D5 L1), leaving them under pressure for the Georgia trip.

Key Team Stats

• Won only 3 of their last 9 games in all competitions (D5 L1) and kept 1 clean sheet.
• Drawn 6 of their last 7 away games in all competitions, with 5 of the 6 stalemates ending 1-1.
• Lost only 1 of their last 20 games in all competitions (W12 D7).
• Sergio Ramos scored 2 goals and missed 2 penalties in 8 games in 2020.

Team News

Georgia
Out: N/A.
Doubts: N/A.

Spain
Out: N/A.
Doubts: Gerard Moreno.

Predicted Line-ups

Georgia (4-2-3-1): Loria; Kakabadze, Kashia, Dvali, Giorbelidze; Kvekveskiri, Kankava; Lobzhanidze, Aburjania, Kvaratskhelia; Kvilitaia.

Spain (4-3-3): Simon; Porro, Garcia, Martinez, Alba; Thiago, Busquets, Pedri; Torres, Morata, Oyarzabal.

Head-To-Head Record

Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the World Cup.

Betting Tips

More Odds

Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Georgia

Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more