UEFA EURO 2016: Czech Republic team preview

After missing out on the 2014 World Cup it has been a relatively good couple of years for the Czech’s. Having finished top of a competitive group in qualifying, the 1996 runners up have made it to France in good style.

Since gaining UEFA status as a country in their own right back in the early 1990’s, the Czech Republic have performed well at the European Championships. They made it all the way to the final in 1996 (lost 2-1 after extra time) and have appeared in the quarter-finals on three occasions, as well as featuring in the semi-final and eventually finishing as the third placed team in 2004. This time around though, despite winning their qualifying group, the Czech’s look to be facing an uphill battle from the off.

With seven wins, two losses and a single draw, the Czech Republic did indeed top their group in qualifying, although this doesn’t exactly tell the whole story. From an attacking point of view 19 goals scored – including goals against Holland, Iceland and Turkey – make for good reading, but it is at the back where this side could face problems at these finals, and if qualifying is anything to go by then those problems could arrive sooner rather than later. The Czech’s failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their 10 qualifying matches, conceding a total of 14 goals during the campaign. This leaky defending is definitely something that will need to be improved if they are to do well this summer. However, when we look at the squad, a lack of real top quality players becomes glaringly obvious. And in a group where they will face Croatia, Turkey and the holders Spain, Cesti Lvi look up against it.

EURO 2016 Squad

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Arsenal), Tomas Vaclik (Basel), Tomas Koubek (Slovan Liberec).

Defenders: Theodor Gebre Selassie (Werder Bremen), Roman Hubnik (Viktoria Plzen), Pavel Kaderabek (Hoffenheim), Michal Kadlec (Fenerbahce), David Limbersky (Viktoria Plzen), Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday), Marek Suchy (Basel), Tomas Sivok (Bursaspor).

Midfielders: Vladimir Darida (Hertha Berlin), Borek Dockal (Sparta Praha), Daniel Kolar (Viktoria Plzen), Ladislav Krejci (Sparta Praha), Lukas Marecek (Sparta Praha), David Pavelka (Kasımpasa), Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal), Jiri Skalak (Brighton), Josef Sural (Sparta Praha).

Forwards: David Lafata (Sparta Praha), Tomas Necid (Bursaspor), Patrik Schick (Sparta Praha), Milan Skoda (Slavia Praha).

Key Player: Borek Dockal

Dockal has been in good form over the past 12 months. His performances for Sparta Praha this season have certainly been noteworthy, especially in the Europa League where his contributions played a big part in the club making it as a far as the quarter final stages.

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The 27 year old midfielder was also instrumental for the Czech’s in qualifying and with four goals, he finished as the country’s top scorer for the campaign.

Qualifying

Group Matches

Spain v Czech Republic – 13 June, 2016

Czech Republic v Croatia – 17 June, 2016

Czech Republic v Turkey – 21 June, 2016

Click here for the full Euro 2016 match schedule. 

Verdict

If we look at the Czech Republic’s route to these championships, there’s one constant. And that constant just happens to be football’s most valuable commodity: goals. In their 10 qualifying games the Czech’s saw a total of 33 goals go in at either end. The fact that they scored 19 is fairly impressive; however, the fact that they conceded 14, and conceded at least once in all 10 games, is not.

Scoring goals isn’t likely to be too much of a problem for this side, but keeping them out probably will be. They face Spain in their opener, and this fixture just screams goals. The bet to be on is the combination bet of over 2.5 goals and both teams to score. There was at least 3 goals and a both teams to score outcome in eight of the Czech’s 10 qualifying games and this trend looks set to continue when their Euro 2016 campaign begins on 13^th June.