Paris St Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia during a press conference.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made his Paris Saint-Germain debut on Saturday and set up a goal for Ousmane Dembele, but the Ligue 1 leaders were held to a 1-1 draw by Reims. The in-form Dembele put PSG ahead at the Parc des Princes with his eighth goal in his last seven appearances, only for Japanese international Keito Nakamura to level soon after. PSG were unable to follow up their superb midweek win over Manchester City in the Champions League with another victory, but they remain undefeated domestically this season and move provisionally 10 points clear of Marseille atop Ligue 1.

Reims have won just once in 12 league outings, yet this was their second draw of the season against PSG, as Luis Enrique’s side perhaps had their heads elsewhere.

The Parisians go to Germany to play VfB Stuttgart on Wednesday needing a draw to be certain of progressing to the knockout phase of the Champions League, and Luis Enrique rotated his squad with that game in mind.

Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Joao Neves, Vitinha and Bradley Barcola were rested, with the latter’s place being taken by Kvaratskhelia.

“He is a player who you can see is different when he gets the ball,” Luis Enrique said of the Georgian.

“I hope this was just the first of many matches for the club and I think it was positive although of course he lacks rhythm after a month without playing.”

Kvaratskhelia is not yet eligible for the Champions League so made his first PSG appearance here since arriving last week from Napoli for a reported 70 million euros ($72m).

He saw Goncalo Ramos almost put the home side ahead in the first half with a shot that was diverted onto the post by goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf.

Kvaratskhelia then played a key part in setting up the opener two minutes after the interval, cutting in from the left and playing a one-two before teeing up Dembele to score with a deflected shot.

However, Nakamura finished off a fine move to bring Reims level nine minutes later with his eighth goal of the season, and there was no further scoring.

Monaco up to third

Marseille visit Nice on Sunday, while Monaco climbed back up to third after their 3-2 win at home to struggling Rennes preceded a 2-1 defeat for Lille at Strasbourg.

In the principality, Monaco followed their 1-0 home win over Aston Villa in the Champions League in midweek by seeing off Rennes thanks to goals by Maghnes Akliouche, Mika Biereth and Aleksandr Golovin.

Akliouche lit up the occasion before a sparse crowd at the Stade Louis II by opening the scoring with a breathtaking overhead kick after quarter of an hour.

Golovin hit the bar moments later when he should have scored, and instead Mahamadou Nagida equalised for Rennes in first-half stoppage time.

Danish striker Biereth restored Monaco’s lead early in the second half, the former Arsenal youngster getting his first goal since signing from Sturm Graz.

Akliouche then set up Russian international Golovin for Monaco’s third on 56 minutes, although they were forced to hang on after Amine Gouiri got another goal back for Rennes.

The Brittany side have lost five games out of five between league and cup in 2025, and have been beaten seven times in 10 outings since former Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli was appointed in November.

“I feel that I can do something for this club and I will do what I can to get us out of this situation”, Sampaoli said when asked if he already felt his position was under threat.

Monaco’s first win in five league games lifted them back up to third, three points behind Marseille and two ahead of Lille.

Like Monaco, Lille are certain to feature in the knockout phase of the Champions League although they saw a club record 21-game unbeaten run in all competitions ended in a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool in midweek.

Osame Sahraoui gave Lille the lead in Strasbourg, but Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos equalised 20 minutes from time and Emanuel Emegha got what proved to be the winner shortly after for the hosts, who are unbeaten in eight.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, PSG’s new star signing, is “ready” to make his Ligue 1 debut.© AFP

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates after scoring a goal for Napoli. The Georgian winger will join PSG
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia completed his expected move from Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain when he signed a deal until 2029 with the record 12-time French champion.

French media earlier reported the 23-year-old Georgia forward was in Paris to have his medical check, and PSG confirmed the transfer in a statement late Friday (January 17, 2025).

“It’s a dream to be here. I’ve heard a lot of very positive things about Paris Saint-Germain,” Kvaratskhelia said. “I feel immense pride in joining.”

No further information was given but L’Equipe estimated the transfer fee to be 70 million euros ($72 million) without bonuses.

The move comes a day after he posted a farewell video to Napoli fans, who affectionately nicknamed him “Kvaradona” in homage to Argentina great Diego Maradona, the club’s greatest ever player. Kvaratskhelia starred in Napoli’s Serie A title-winning team in 2023.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte confirmed last Saturday that Kvaratskhelia requested a move.

PSG lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid in the offseason and adding a dynamic player like Kvaratskhelia would provide some punch to its attack. He’s a scorer and skilful provider with speed and dribbling ability.

“Khvicha is one of the most exciting players in world football. A fantastic talent, but also a player who has courage and fights for the team,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “I know he will achieve all his goals with us. We are delighted to be strengthening our squad.”

He starred for Georgia at last year’s European Championship alongside fellow winger Georges Mikautadze, who plays in Ligue 1 for Lyon, and Zuriko Davitashvili, who is doing well for Saint-Etienne.

Kvaratskhelia scored 30 goals in 107 games overall for Napoli and had great chemistry with striker Victor Osimhen during the title-winning campaign — which ended a 33-year wait for the Serie A title, with Maradona starring in that 1990 team.

Napoli will stay top of Serie A for at least another week after winning 1-0 at bogey team Empoli on Sunday and moving three points clear of Juventus. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck the only goal of the game, and his fourth of the season, from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute to give Napoli their fourth straight win in all competitions. Sunday’s hard-fought victory means that Napoli cannot be overtaken this weekend, although Inter Milan can move back to within two points of Antonio Conte’s team with a win at troubled Roma in the day’s late game.

“We’re trying to create a solid base from which we can become a team with serious ambitions,” said Conte to DAZN.

“Every win should be celebrated because they’re hard won. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing.

“We’re trying to build something here, something that isn’t just a flash in the pan but lasts long-term.”

Empoli beat Napoli home and away last season and their victory in Naples last November cost Rudi Garcia his job as coach, as a disastrous league title defence ended with southern Italy’s biggest club in 10th.

And the hosts were the better team for large portions of the match, with Kvaratskhelia’s winning spot-kick Napoli’s only shot on target in front of thousands of enthusiastic travelling supporters.

“I don’t know if it’s our history here but I wasn’t happy with how we played in the first half. If they had scored we couldn’t have said anything,” said Conte.

Napoli don’t have European football as a result of their collapse following a first Scudetto since 1990 and the days of Diego Maradona.

And under Conte they have quickly re-established themselves as title challengers, with the advantage of not having the expanded Champions League jamming up their schedule.

Kvaratskhelia is key to Conte’s plans but the Georgia winger is yet to sign a contract extension, with his current deal expiring in 2027.

Italian media report that Kvaratskhelia is aiming for eight million euros ($8.7 million) a season, significantly more than Napoli are willing to offer the breakout star of their historic 2023 title triumph.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia starred as Napoli got their first win under Antonio Conte on Sunday by beating Bologna 3-0, while Roma slumped to a shock 2-1 home defeat to Empoli. Georgia star Kvaratskhelia celebrated becoming a dad on Wednesday by netting Napoli’s second with 15 minutes remaining in an absorbing contest at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. But while his deflected strike ensured Napoli of the three points and redemption after last weekend’s humbling at Verona, Kvaratskhelia’s real touch of class came in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

The 23-year-old, who also hit the crossbar, clipped a delightful pass over the Bologna defence for the onrushing Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who lashed home the opening goal and unleashed joy both in the stands and on the touchline.

“I think you saw it on the pitch, the energy, and I did everything for the team,” said Kvaratskhelia to DAZN.

“This week was for me so important, I’m so happy that I also came here and won with the team. I’m so happy.”

Napoli captain Di Lorenzo was heavily criticised after his dire performances at Euro 2024, where Italy were dumped out as reigning champions in the quarter-finals by Switzerland.

But his goal helped Napoli beat an enterprising Bologna team who should have more than the one point that they have collected from their first two matches.

“These fans show me a lot of love and I try to pay that back every time I step out onto the pitch,” said Di Lorenzo.

Substitute Giovanni Simeone made it a brilliant home debut for Conte when he forced home new signing David Neres’ low cross deep in added time.

Roma crumble

Also on one point are Roma who lost to Empoli at home for the first time in their history after a hugely disappointing display in which Paulo Dybala staying in the Italian capital wasn’t enough to inspire Daniele De Rossi‘s side.

Emmanuel Gyasi’s tap-in on the stroke of half-time and a Lorenzo Colombo penalty in the 61st minute sank Roma, who pulled one back through Eldor Shomurodov with 10 minutes remaining but couldn’t complete a comeback.

Dybala, whose move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Qadsiah collapsed on Thursday, was one of three Roma players to hit the woodwork alongside Lorenzo Pellegrini and Gianluca Mancini.

But Roma were booed off the pitch for the way they fell two goals behind against a team which is expected to struggle against relegation.

“We were lacking energy and intensity… We played well in the second half but it wasn’t enough, and if you don’t play well in the first half things aren’t going to well for you,” said De Rossi to Sky Sport.

De Rossi doesn’t have long to get his team’s spirits up as Roma travel to Juventus, who face Verona on Monday, next weekend.

Adams emulates Law

Earlier, Che Adams emulated Denis Law with the decisive goal in Torino’s 2-1 win over Atalanta on Sunday, delighting fans who had called for the owner to sell in mass pre-match protests.

Scotland striker Adams netted his first goal for Torino since signing as a free agent last month, tapping home the hosts’ second four minutes after half-time.

The 28-year-old became the first of his countrymen to score for Torino since Scotland and Manchester United legend Law in the 1961/62 season.

Adams rolling in the winner after Duvan Zapata‘s low shot was saved made it a perfect home debut in which he also set up Ivan Ilic’s delightful dinked equaliser in the 31st minute.

His strike, and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving Mario Pasalic’s penalty deep in stoppage time, put Torino on four points from their first two matches.

The win came after thousands of fans marched to the game together to demand that owner and media magnate Urbano Cairo sell the club after 19 largely drab years at the helm.

Fiorentina were held to a goalless draw by Venezia in the day’s other early kick-off. 

Georgia coach Willy Sagnol insisted the rank outsiders would go into Sunday’s Euro 2024 clash with Spain in relaxed mood having already far exceeded expectations by making it to the last 16. “We will go into this game with a lot of confidence because we have absolutely nothing to lose. For me we have already won the European Championship and I am just excited to be on the pitch,” Sagnol told reporters in Cologne, where Sunday’s game will be played.

Georgia are appearing at a major tournament for the first time and made it to the knockout phase with a remarkable 2-0 win over Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Portugal in their last group match on Wednesday.

That followed a 3-1 loss to Turkey and a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic and allowed them to progress from Group F as one of the best third-placed finishers.

However, all the evidence suggests their run will come to an end against a Spain side who have been the most impressive team so far at the tournament, winning all three group games without letting in a goal.

Georgia have played Spain four times since Frenchman Sagnol was appointed coach in early 2021, and have lost all four meetings.

They went down twice in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, and then lost twice more in qualifying for this competition.

That included a chastening 7-1 reverse at home in Tbilisi last September.

“It was a difficult moment for us but sometimes to get further in life you need moments like that, where it is very difficult, where you are not good, where you think you have done everything bad,” Sagnol reflected.

“Without difficulties you can’t have great achievements. It was part of our journey.

“If we are here today I am sure this 7-1 taught us a lot of things and we learnt a lot of things from it.”

The 47-year-old former France international added: “Spain are clearly the best team in the competition up until now so that is why it is going to be a tough match.

“We played four times against them, we lost four times, but now it is a different competition, a different atmosphere, a different environment, so many things can happen.”

The Napoli star netted with less than two minutes on the clock in Gelsenkirchen.© AFP

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Georgia breaks into the box whilst under pressure from Diogo Dalot of Portugal as Antonio Silva, Joao Neves and Francisco Conceicao of Portugal look on during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Georgia and Portugal at Arena AufSchalke on June 26, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Georgia staged the biggest upset in Euro history with a 2-0 win over Portugal on Wednesday to stride into the knock-out phase of their first major tournament, thanks to an early Khvicha Kvaratskhelia strike and a Georges Mikautadze penalty.

The win, albeit against a largely second-string Portugal who had already made it into the next round, represented the greatest result for Georgia since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Played out in front of tens of thousands of raucous Georgia fans, it was also the biggest shock based on rankings which put the team rated 74th in the world against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal who were ranked sixth and were European champions in 2016.

Having come a disappointing fourth in their Euro qualifying group, Georgia had to take a circuitous route to Germany, first by winning their group in the less glamorous Euro Nations tournament and then defeating Greece in a play-off.

But there was nothing undeserved about the way Coach Willy Sagnol, the former Bayern Munich and France defender, and his side claimed a third-place finish in the tournament’s Group F and set up a last-16 meeting with three-time Euro winners Spain.

When those two sides met last September in the qualifying stage for the tournament in Germany, Spain thrashed Georgia 7-1 in Tbilisi.

Georgia’s win also means that England will line up against Slovakia, Romania take on Netherlands and Portugal face Slovenia in the round of 16. Hungary, who had been in contention for a spot in the next round, were edged out.

In the other Group F match on Wednesday, Turkey booked their place in the last 16 with a 2-1 win over 10-man Czech Republic, who now head home.

Georgia, the tournament debutants, took the lead in the second minute when Kvaratskhelia, the Napoli winger, raced away after a careless pass by Antonio Silva and powered a low shot past Diogo Costa in Portugal’s goal.

Ronaldo — one of only three starters for Portugal who also played in their 3-0 win over Turkey on Saturday — stretched and strained for every ball as he sought to become the oldest goal scorer at a Euro tournament at the age of 39.

But Georgia defended as if their lives depended upon it and sought to catch Portugal on the break. In the 53rd minute, Silva compounded his earlier error by committing a foul in the box that was given as a penalty after a VAR check.

Mikautadze, who had provided the pass for Kvaratskhelia to open the scoring early on, steered his spot kick past Costa, making him the top scorer at Euro 2024 so far with three goals.

Ronaldo was booked in the first half for arguing and cut a frustrated figure when he was substituted after the break, kicking out at a water bottle. It is the first time in his long career that he failed to score in the group stage of a major international tournament.

Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made late saves to keep Portugal at bay, and at full time the rest of the squad and coaching staff sprinted on to the field to leap and dance in front of their fans.

The celebrations were fully deserved. Georgia came close to snatching a draw with Turkey but lost 3-1 in their opening game and missed a great chance to beat the Czech Republic a few days later in a 1-1 draw, leaving them perilously close to elimination – until Wednesday’s historic night in Gelsenkirchen.

Patrik Schick chested home to earn the Czech Republic a 1-1 draw against debutants Georgia on Saturday in an entertaining match, but it leaves both teams in a tricky spot in Euro 2024 Group F. They have a point each ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Portugal facing Turkey later on, as the top two clash having already beaten the Czechs and Georgia respectively. Georgia coach Willy Sagnol said his players’ disappointment at their opening defeat showed how far his team has come, and they gave everything in Hamburg to earn their first Euros point.

Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made a string of superb saves to keep his team in the game and they took the lead just before the break through Georges Mikautadze’s penalty.

However Schick reprised his Euro 2020 goalscoring heroics with an improvised finish to leave honours even at the end of a pulsating clash.

Georgia’s key attacking duo Mikautadze and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both needed medical treatment in the warm-up but were able to start the match.

They pressed with fury from the off but it was Ivan Hasek’s Czech side who carved out the first clear chances and were more dangerous throughout.

Valencia goalkeeper Mamardashvili made fine early saves to deny Adam Hlozek and then Schick on a busy afternoon.

Georgia wanted a penalty when Zuriko Davitashvili fell under pressure from Ladislav Krejci, but their appeals were waved away.

After both sides were beaten in their opening matches, they were under pressure to take three points at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, leading to a thoroughly entertaining end-to-end game.

In their thrilling opening defeat by Turkey Georgia’s fans were outnumbered, but here they were in the majority and every time Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia got the ball in opposition territory they began to roar.

End-to-end

Czech right-back Vladimir Coufal was booked for clipping the Georgian as he attempted to counter.

Hlozek put the ball into the back of the Georgian net after 23 minutes but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review for handball.

The striker’s first effort was saved by Mamardashvili, with the rebound hitting Hlozek in the face and then his arm before crossing the line.

Mikautadze also came in for some rough treatment, with the Czech goalscorer against Portugal, Lukas Provod, booked for clattering him.

In first half stoppage time Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanec saved brilliantly from Georgia captain Guram Kashia but VAR spotted a handball in the build-up by defender Robin Hranac and the referee awarded a penalty.

Mikautadze dispatched it confidently to give his side the lead at the interval, but not before Mamardashvili brilliantly saved low from Schick.

The Czechs were back level when Euro 2020 joint top scorer Schick chested home from close range after substitute Ondrej Lingr’s header from a corner bounced back off the post.

They almost took the lead in similar fashion when Krejci directed another header narrowly wide.

Schick’s strike took him ahead of Milan Baros as their top ever Euros scorer with six goals but the Bayer Leverkusen forward limped off with an apparent calf injury midway through the second half.

Georgia had a glorious chance right at the end of the match to win the game but at the end of a three-on-one break, substitute Saba Lobjanidze blazed over with just the goalkeeper to beat.