Czechs readying to face Euros bogey team Turkey in crucial clash
Czechia’s footballers are preparing for a do-or-die clash with Turkey at the European Championship on Wednesday. Coach Ivan Hašek insists his team will do their utmost to win their final group game, but recent history suggests getting past the Turks may not be easy.
In their final group game at Euro 2008 the Czechs were leading 2:0 against Turkey with less than 20 minutes remaining on the clock. Then, however, the Turks began a remarkable comeback to eventually win 3:2 – and send the Czechs home.
Eight years later the Czechs also faced Turkey in their final group game and again lost, this time 2:0.
Now Czech fans will be hoping bad things don’t come in threes. Their team needs a victory against the Turks in their final group game in Hamburg on Wednesday night to be sure of advancing to the knockout stages at Euro 2024.
Manager Ivan Hašek insists that his men are up for the fight.
“I don’t think anyone’s throwing in the towel. Quite the opposite – we don’t want to go anywhere. We’ll do the maximum to make sure we stay. You want to experience the Euros, the atmosphere and everything that goes with it, and to be here as long as possible.”
Given that the tournament is taking place in Germany, with its large Turkish population, the atmosphere on Wednesday may not favour the Czech squad.
Another issue is that star striker Patrik Schick is a major injury doubt, after sustaining a calf muscle injury in a draw with Georgia last Saturday.
But Hašek says the potential absence of Schick is by no means an insurmountable problem.
“He’s a player who can score a goal out of nothing. But at the same time we have other players who can take his place. We have alternatives for that position and if the guys get a chance they will also fight to stay here.”
Turkey have three points ahead of the final group game, compared to one for the Czechs, and will definitely go through if they at least draw. Czechia meanwhile very likely need a win to book a place in the knockout stages.
Czechia’s Antonín Barák, who plays his club football with Fiorentina, says he expects the Turks to come out swinging.
“I think they will want to start the game at high intensity and to immediately put us under pressure. I think that the atmosphere there will also contribute to that approach. We can definitely expect an aggressive approach. It’s hard to play against opponents like that and we will have to focus a lot on discipline and not let ourselves be provoked into anything.”
Turkey are favourites to win, according to sports data organisation Opta.
If the Czechs do lose it will be the second time, after 2016, that they have failed to win any group games at a Euros.
