Two sides who could scarcely have more different tactical ideas and playing styles.

Two sides who have polar opposite histories, in international footballing terms, too.

Georgia’s men’s side had never been to a major international tournament before this summer, let alone scored a goal or won a game. Or even, if we can entertain such fanciful notions, of reaching the knock-out stage. Spain won the European Championship as recently as 2012, reached the semis last time out and were world champions only 14 years ago.

Football heritage and history isn’t only made up of the men’s Euros and World Cup, though, so the true contextual national gap is even wider: Georgia’s women have never been to a tournament either, whereas La Roja are the reigning world and Women’s Nations League champions. There is quite simply an enormous gap between the two, a chasm so large in football terms that it almost defies explanation.

But for 21 minutes at Euro 2024, there was an almighty shock on. For 21 awe-inspiring minutes, an incredible dream received the most raucous, sensational backing from the stands and one of the very biggest of favourites were truly, visibly shaken.

Europe’s best strikers are vying for individual honours as well as team success as they aim to top the scoring charts at Euro 2024.

Four Round of 16 games down, four to go:

Quarter-final 1, Stuttgart: Spain v Germany (1700)

Quarter-final 2, Hamburg: Portugal/Slovenia v France/Belgium (2000)

Quarter-final 4, Dusseldorf: England v Switzerland (1700)

Quarter-final 3, Berlin: Romania/Netherlands v Austria/Turkey (2000)

That is, sadly, the end for Georgia at a tournament they have enlivened on and off the pitch. This felt like the natural stopping point for their story, though they leave with heads held high.

A valiant effort from Georgia, but ultimately Spain’s mastery and might showed. Four goals, a couple of them beauties, and into the last eight this growing side fly, looking better and better despite an early fright today. They’ll head for Stuttgart for a proper ding dong with the hosts on Friday.

Into three additional minutes. Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo almost connect for a fifth, but the latter’s shot is blocked.

Towards the close we wind with Spain beginning to size up Germany. Dani Olmo tests the gloves of Giorgi Mamardashvili one more time, trimming the grass with Spain’s 32nd shot of the match.

Georgia have been excellent at Euro 2024 and their impact on the pitch and in the stands has been a more than welcome addition. This is just a step or two too far for them and there’s no shame in that whatsoever – there’s a good reason Spain are a heavy-hitting favourite and they’ve shown another side to their game here. It’s worth remembering this is the first time they’ve conceded at the tournament, but they’ve bounced back from the early setback in perfect fashion. Bring on that quarter-final with the hosts.

Lamine Yamal had just dragged a shot wide of Giorgi Mamardashvili’s goal, but Dani Olmo makes no mistake from the edge of the box. It’s his touch that creates it, deft and delicate to wrong-foot a defender and open up the room he needs to curl for the corner.