There will be a must win game for Croatia at EURO 2020 on Friday afternoon, as they look to get over the defeat that they suffered against England on matchday one. The Czech Republic will have their sights set on reaching the next round of the competition.
EURO 2020 Preview
Croatia and the Czech Republic got their EURO 2020 campaigns off to contrasting starts, and the side that were losing World Cup finalists in 2018 will have the biggest challenge ahead of them. Defeat in this second group game will leave their chances of qualification on the brink. Croatia were beaten in their first game of EURO 2020 by England at Wembley on Sunday afternoon. It was a tense meeting between the sides, which also met in the World Cup semi-finals three years ago. However, a Raheem Sterling goal half an hour from the end was enough to separate the two nations. Croatia didn’t really trouble England nearly enough in the game, as they managed just two shots on target.
The Czech Republic are in complete control of the second qualifying spot in the group at present, as they started their tournament with a controlled 2-0 victory at Hampden Park against Scotland. Patrick Schick scored an early contender for goal of the tournament early in the second half, as he lobbed David Marshall from just inside the Scotland half. The Bundesliga striker also scored the opening goal in the game, three minutes before the half time whistle. A victory against Croatia on Friday evening will give the Czechs an excellent chance of making it through to the next round of the competition. However, they will be wary that they will need maximum points, as they close the group with a game against England next Tuesday.
Croatia vs Czech Republic Head to Head
These two nations have met sporadically throughout their histories. It will only be the fourth time that the Czech Republic and Croatia have met, with their most recent meeting coming in EURO 2016, as the nations played out a 2-2 draw.
Croatia vs Czech Republic Prediction
The pressure will be on for Croatia in this fixture, as they can’t afford to drop points against the Czech Republic. However, the Czechs were very impressive in their opening game, and we wouldn’t rule out them claiming a point in this fixture on Friday.
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