With a flawless record after two games, Group F favourites Portugal have secured their place in the round of 16 with a game to spare. This leaves Czechia and Turkey in a fierce battle for the remaining spot. The only pathway for either Czechia or Turkey to join Portugal in the round of 16, is to secure a victory in their final group match. This high-stakes scenario guarantees a highly contested and thrilling fixture.
To win (90 min)
Czechia 29/20
Draw 47/20
Turkiye 7/4
Czechia
The Czech Republic, after two unconvincing performances, have put themselves in a serious situation in a bid to qualify for the round of 16. The loss in the opening fixture against Portugal was unfortunate as a point looked to be on the cards, a lapse in concentration in the dying minutes gifted the opportunity for Portugal’s Francisco Conceicao to steal the show after he slotted the ball past Jindrich Stanek to hand Portugal the 2-1 victory in added time.
Facing debutants Georgia in the second fixture was on paper, supposed to have been the game they bounced back after the defeat and collected maximum points, but it was not to be once again. Despite dominating possession and creating many goal-scoring chances, Georgia drew first blood to go into halftime 1-0 to the good.
A more direct approach in the second half added pressure to the Georgian defence, and Patrik Schick was the man to find the back of the net a minute before the hour mark to level the score. Giorgi Mamardashvili was outstanding on the night for Georgia with 11 saves, rewarding his team with a massive point after the match ended 1-1.
Expect Ivan Hasek’s men to be more determined, desirable, and adventurous in this decisive fixture with Turkiye. Hasek must look to control the midfield, Tomas Soucek and Lukas Provod will be given that tireless job while limiting Turkiye captain Hakan Calhanoglou from dictating play and creating goal-scoring opportunities.
Leaving everything out there will be the call from Hasek, and risk-taking could be the difference between qualifying for the round of 16 or an early exit from the tournament. Bayern Leverkusen duo Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek have yet to reach their high standards but the quality and goal-scoring prowess between the two will play a pivotal role in getting over the line, taking advantage of defensive errors, and returning the favour after Turkiye won the last two meetings.
Turkiye
Turkiye got their Euro campaign off to a flying start, against Georgia, arguably one of the most exciting games of the tournament. The match was end-to-end as both teams had a fair go at each other, minutes past the half-hour mark, Georges Mikautadze put his name down in the history books of Georgian football by scoring their first-ever Euro goal to equalize after Mert Muldur put Turkiye ahead in the 25th minute.
After the break with the match deadlocked at 1-1, the game needed something special, Real Madrid’s rising star Arda Guler, announced himself on the international stage with a wonderous strike from outside the box that hit the top corner to go 2-1 ahead. Substitute Kerem Akturkoglu secured the victory deep into added time to end the game 3-1.
The celebrations after that impressive victory were short-lived as Portugal was the next obstacle in the way. It was always going to be a difficult task facing 2016 Euro champions Portugal as they are one of the teams tipped to go all the way. In the end, to the disappointment of the Turkish support, the quality of the Portuguese proved too much, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat.
Vincenzo Montella will need his men to regroup and gear up for one last battle. In the last five meetings, Czechia has won two and Turkiye has won three. Having this record could be a source of motivation that may inspire the team to give everything they have for a big reward. The team Montella has put together for this tournament, is drenched in quality, with a mix of youth and experienced players who complement each other well. With so much at stake in this fixture, now is the time to separate the men from the boys.
Captain Hakan Calhanoglou is a gifted footballer, and given the space and time, he can take control of any game. Calhanoglou and Kaan Ayhan have formed a strong midfield partnership to drive the team forward with fluidity and precision. Orkun Kokcu will be key in this fixture, his creativity and ability to link up play in dangerous areas could see Arda Guler and Barıs Alper Yılmaz flourish. A win will see Turkiye make it out of the group stages for the first time after failing to do so in the previous two Euro Championships. It’s now or never for the Crescent Stars.
Prediction: BTTS and over 2.5 goals.
This will feel like a final between these two teams which gives you the feeling that it will be attack for attack on the day. This is the last chance and losing is not an option making this a not to be missed encounter. Both teams can take the victory on the day, and it will come down to who can handle the pressure better and who can live up to the occasion.