Georgia dealt a blow to Scotland's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 by claiming a 1-0 victory in Tbilisi this evening.

Valeri Kazaishvili's 38th-minute strike proved to be the difference as Georgia claimed just their second Group D win.

Below, Sports Mole takes a look at the key talking points from the match.

Match statistics

GEORGIA
Shots: 10
On target: 3
Possession: 45%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 14

SCOTLAND
Shots: 5
On target: 0
Possession: 55%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 6

Was the result fair?

It was always going to be a game of few chances, and it came as no surprise to anyone that one goal was enough to secure all three points in the Group D clash. Despite starting the better of the two sides, Scotland allowed Georgia to grow in confidence as the first half progressed, and Kazaishvili produced the one moment of quality in the box to hand the hosts the lead. As expected, Scotland piled the pressure on in the closing stages as they searched for a way back into the match but Georgia were rarely troubled at the back and they deserved to hold on for the win.

Georgia's performance

Georgia boss Kakhaber Tskhadadze will walk away delighted after watching his side execute a gameplan to perfection. Starting the match with just three points from their six Group D games, it quickly became clear that the home side were keen to frustrate Scotland when they were not in possession. It looked like they would struggle to make an impact at the other end of the pitch when a number of promising early counter-attacks were halted, but an excellent finish from Kazaishvili handed them control.

Defending continued to be the priority after the break and Georgia always looked comfortable without the ball as Scotland pushed them back in the closing stages. Aleksandre Amisulashvili and Solomon Kverkvelia, in particular, produced impressive performances to handle everything the visitors threw at the back four. In truth, they could have punished Scotland on the break late on but they were rewarded for a fine defensive performance.

Scotland's performance

It was a night to forget for Strachan and his players. A similar defeat to Georgia eight years ago proved to be key to their failure to qualify for Euro 2008, and this result could be pivotal when they look back on the campaign. It was a promising start to the match for Scotland as they moved the ball around quickly and created space for the likes of Steven Naismith and Shaun Maloney in the early stages. However, they always appeared to lack the extra quality needed to break down Georgia on the edge of the box.

As the statistics suggest, it was plenty of possession without much cutting edge for Strachan, who watched his side fail to register a shot on target over 90 minutes. Although much of the credit should go to the Georgian defence, Scotland will be disappointed that the likes of Maloney and Ikechi Anya did not make more of an impact in the final third of the pitch. Questions are also likely to be raised about Strachan's decisions after he left Leigh Griffiths on the bench until late on and took off Naismith early in the second half. It simply was not good enough for a side who started the night full of confidence.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Solomon Kverkvelia: The award had to go to a Georgia defender, and there was no better performer than Kverkvelia, who stuck to his task impressively to keep the pacey Anya quiet throughout the winger's stay on the pitch. His positioning was perfect throughout and he never hesitated to confront the likes of Naismith and Maloney when they had the ball.

Biggest gaffe

James Morrison was one of the players to impress early in the game, but he struggled after the break and almost gifted Georgia a second goal with a poor pass in midfield. Luckily for him, Levan Mchedlidze could only find the side-netting with a sliced shot.

Referee performance

Ovidiu Hategan kept the game flowing with his eagerness to play advantage as much as possible and he avoided any moments of controversy on a routine evening at the office.

What next?

Georgia: Tskhadadze's side will look to add to their six points when they visit Republic of Ireland on Monday.

Scotland: The challenges just get tougher for Scotland, who host Germany at Hampden Park on Monday evening.

Written by
Callum Mulvihill