COLOGNE, Germany, July 1, (AP): Spain recovered from conceding an early own-goal to beat Georgia 4-1 for a spot in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, ending one of the tournament's most compelling underdog stories.

Goals from midfielders Rodri and Fabián Ruiz brought Spain back into the game after Robin Le Normand's own-goal in the 18th minute had given Georgia a shock lead. Nico Williams and Dani OImo took the game out of Georgia's reach with two more goals late as heavy rain fell.
After the final whistle, Williams and the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal met up on the field for an impromptu game of rock-paper-scissors, apparently over who got to drink first from a water bottle.

It was a moment that summed up the unpredictability and sense of fun in a Spain team that had previously been prone to retreating into an unthreatening passing game, as in its loss to Morocco at the same stage of the 2022 World Cup.

Facing Georgia was a test of Spain's nerves, Rodri said.
"It was a tough game. We knew it before. Maybe they don’t have the big names, but they made it hard for us," he said, adding that his goal "was key because we were a bit jittery at that point… We have things to improve.”
Spain will play host nation Germany in the quarterfinals on Friday in Stuttgart.