Georgia vs Spain Prediction 16 November 2025

🔈 Can the "Crusaders" put up a worthy fight against the "Red Fury"? One of the intriguing matchups in Saturday's European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup is the clash between the national teams of Georgia and Spain. Luis de la Fuente's squad have been exemplary in this qualifying cycle and have already secured their spot in the upcoming World Cup. On the other hand, Willy Sagnol and his team have fallen short of expectations from their fans and the football community, virtually losing all chances of making it to the World Cup. Despite playing at home, bookmakers give Spain a tenfold advantage.

Head-to-Head

📊 In the current qualifying cycle, the teams have already clashed on Spanish soil. On that occasion, "La Roja" left no chance for Willy Sagnol's squad, securing a 2-0 victory. The expected goals statistics were particularly telling: 3.93 to 0.01 in favor of Spain. Interestingly, in Georgia, the teams have faced off three times in head-to-head encounters, with Spain emerging victorious each time.

Georgia Team Overview

⚪ It seems that the Georgian national team has fallen short of a miracle, missing out on qualifying for the main stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history. In the four qualifying matches played, the "Crusaders" have managed only one victory alongside three defeats, with their sole win coming against Bulgaria (3-0). However, it's important to note that on home soil, Willy Sagnol's squad performs much more cohesively and convincingly. Since the end of EURO 2024, Georgia has suffered just two home defeats—against Albania (0-1) and Turkey (2-3). Looking at the "Crusaders'" scoring statistics in the current qualification phase, they average 1.5 goals per game while conceding around 2.25.

🔴 In their previous World Cup 2026 qualifier, Georgia played in Kocaeli, Turkey. The "Crusaders" struggled to contain the attacking prowess of the Turks and failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, resulting in a 1-4 defeat. Despite their efforts to harness the potential of their attacking flanks, the compact defensive play of the Turkish team thwarted Willy Sagnol's tactical plan. The most prolific players for the "Crusaders" in this qualifying campaign have been Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (2 goals) and Zuriko Davitashvili (1 goal, 1 assist).

Spain Team Overview

🔴 "La Roja" have fully justified their status as the clear favorites in the qualifying group. After four matches, Spain have secured the maximum possible 12 points. Luis de la Fuente's squad have remained unbeaten in regulation time of official matches since March 2023, when they were unable to overcome Scotland in the EURO 2024 qualifiers (0-2). Impressively, Spain have yet to concede a goal in this qualification campaign, with an average of 3.75 goals scored per game. Their clear tactical style and well-defined roles within the team allow the reigning European champions to maintain stability and pose a formidable threat to any opponent.

🟡 In their last World Cup 2026 qualifier, "La Roja" comfortably defeated Bulgaria 4-0. During that match, Luis de la Fuente opted for significant squad rotation, which did not affect the team's cohesion or sharpness. Notably, Spain registered 33 shots on goal, with a total xG of 3.96. Tactical principles such as territorial dominance and maintaining high intensity in their attacking play are key to the head coach's strategy. The most prolific players for Spain in the current qualifying cycle are Mikel Merino (6 goals, 0 assists) and Mikel Oyarzabal (3 goals, 3 assists).

Latest news

Georgia

🎤 After their 2-0 defeat to Spain in the opening round of the current qualifying cycle, Willy Sagnol highlighted the remarkable class of "La Roja": "There's not much to say. Spain are like they're from another planet. We can try our best, give it our all, but when Spain play at this level, we simply stand no chance. We must acknowledge that they play a completely different kind of football, a very high-class football. A 0-2 scoreline—one could say we were fortunate." Currently, the Georgian national team sits at 70th in the FIFA world rankings, with a squad value totaling 168 million euros. The key players for the "Crusaders" include Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (90 million euros, PSG), Georges Mikautadze (30 million euros, Villarreal), and Giorgi Mamardashvili (28 million euros, Liverpool).

❌ The coaching staff of the Georgian national team can count on their strongest lineup for the upcoming match, but whether they can turn this into a positive result remains a big question.

Spain

🎤 Following their 2-0 win against Georgia in the first round of the current qualifiers, Luis de la Fuente highlighted his team's performance: "We have an outstanding group of young players, many talented footballers, and it's a source of pride for us, not a concern. I'm fortunate to have an endless supply of talent. In the match against Georgia, we lacked a bit of precision, but that's football—it brings us back to reality and shows us what we're truly achieving, which is very important. We could have won by a larger margin, but to accomplish what we've already achieved, everything must be done exceptionally well. If you speak calmly and naturally, you can take praise in stride. We need to keep improving. Compliments won't weaken us. We haven't achieved anything yet. There's no arrogance—quite the opposite. This is a remarkable team. I have excellent players, but even better people."

❌ Among the injured players from the Spanish national team who would certainly contribute in the upcoming camps are: Robin Le Normand (knee injury), Dani Carvajal (knee injury), Rodri (hamstring injury), Marc Casado (muscle injury), Pedri (muscle injury), Gavi (knee injury), and Lamine Yamal (groin injury).

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The upcoming clash will be officiated by Benoît Bastien. Looking at the stats for this French referee, he averages around 4.02 yellow cards per game. It's worth noting that in 4 of the last 5 matches involving "La Roja," there were no more than 4 cautions issued. There is no reason to believe that a meeting between two disciplined teams will turn into a rough affair. Our pick is under 4.5 total yellow cards.

⚽ Goal Prediction

In 5 of the last 6 head-to-head encounters between Georgia and Spain, there have been at least 3 goals scored. A similar trend is evident in 9 of the last 10 matches featuring "La Roja." It's important to note that both teams are quite active in the attacking third, creating plenty of scoring opportunities. We suggest opting for the following bet – over 2.5 total goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Let's take a look at the average number of corners in each team's matches during the current qualifying cycle: Georgia averages 9, while Spain averages 10. In 5 of the last 6 matches involving the "Crusaders," there were no more than 10 corner kicks. A similar trend is seen in 7 of the last 9 matches for "La Roja." Considering all of this, a reasonable choice would be under 9.5 total corners.

The head-to-head history and current form of each team suggest that the "Crusaders" have minimal chances of success. Willy Sagnol's squad often has to adapt to the tactical plans of top-tier national teams, which hasn't been their strong suit. It's also important to consider that Luis de la Fuente is likely to rotate his squad, giving the reserves an opportunity to prove themselves ahead of the upcoming World Cup. We predict a final score of 1-3, with the key bet being Spain to win with a -1.5 handicap.