Group F is the final group to get their EURO2024 campaign up and running this Tuesday, with Türkiye v Georgia followed by Portugal taking on Czechia in Leipzig.
EURO2024 has already been a recordbreaking tournament. 16 goals were scored in the first four matches alone – the highest number at the European Championships since 1976. Having watched the rest of their competitors over the past four days, Portugal and Czechia will be hoping they can kick-start their campaign in a similar way when they face eachother tomorrow in Leipzig.
Both teams come into this game with a reputation as high scorers, having scored 17 and 18 times respectively in the last seven games leading up to the tournament.
What is the latest team news?
Just days before the opening ceremony, Ivan Hašek was forced to make a change to his Czech squad after midfielder Michal Sadílek suffered an injury that has ruled him out of the tournament. Slavia Prague’s Petr Ševčik has been chosen to replace the 25-year-old, an experienced figure in the team after reaching the quarter-finals at EURO2020.
Portugal defender Raphael Guerreiro was unavailable for selection for this summer’s tournament. The 30-year-old sustained an ankle injury in early May whilst playing for his club Bayern Munich, which ruled him out for the rest of the domestic season and subsequently the EUROs.
Who are the key players?
Roberto Martinez brings a star studded lineup to EURO2024, which will be his first major tournament in charge of the Portugal national team. Fans of the Premier League will be able to see nine familiar faces in the Portugal squad, including the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota and Pedro Neto.
Their Czech opposition also have representatives from the Premier League as West Ham United duo Tomáš Souček and Vladmir Coufal are set to be included in the starting eleven on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo will captain his national side in what will be his sixth European Championships. In his international career of 206 appearances so far, he has scored 128 goals and will be hoping to make a huge impact in this tournament – as he did in their EURO2020 campaign, where he was joint top goal scorer.
It was Czechia’s Patrik Schick who joined him at the top of that list, having also scored five goals in the postponed tournament. Fans of the Reprezentace will be hoping that he can have the same influence on the team as they aim to match and go further than the success of the last championships where they reached the quarterfinals.
What have the managers said?
Both Roberto Martinez and Ivan Hašek have shown great respect for their opposition in the lead up to this game, as Martinez said: “When I look at Czechia, I’ve admired their style for many years now.”
The 50-year-old went on to say that Czechia are “a team that takes risks, they like to play one-v-one situations all over the pitch, they’ve got an attacking mentality, and they are a very good side.”
Ivan Hašek has acknowledged the challenge ahead of his side, as he said: “Portugal are the clear favourites to win the EUROs, while we are the outsiders and we will just have to get through the group.”
Despite acknowledging the quality of the opposition, Hašek did not rule out his team’s chances of making a positive start to the tournament as he stated “every game is 50-50. We just can’t be too afraid. We have to be active, get ourselves into the game, and not just sit back and defend.”
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off for Portugal v Czechia is scheduled for 20:00 BST [21:00 CEST] on Tuesday, 18th June.
How can I watch Portugal v Czechia in Group F of EURO2024?
For those watching from the United Kingdom, the game will be broadcast live on BBC One. FromTheSpot will be producing detailed coverage of this EURO2024 clash too, available via our website.