Croatia (CRO) cannot settle for anything less than three points when they meet Czech Republic (CZE) in a Euro 2020 Group D encounter. The 2018 World Cup runners-up suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of England in their opening game. Meanwhile, Czech Republic made a winning start courtesy of a Patrik Schick brace.
It was a disappointing and frustrating evening for Croatian fans as Luka Modric and co struggled to find their rhythm against England at Wembley Stadium. They lacked their usual fluency and managed just one short on target in the match. The absence of defender Dejan Lovren, too, didn’t help their cause. Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic will be hoping that experienced players like Ivan Perisic, Modric, Ante Rebic can help his side turn the tables in Group D.
After an excellent performance against Scotland, Czech Republic will be optimistic about their chances of picking up three points against Croatia. The attacking unit, led by skipper Vladimir Darida, was outstanding against Scotland. Schick, who could have had a hat-trick, put on a show as he scored an incredible goal from near the halfway line. Meanwhile, West Ham United’s Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek carried their club form into the continental competition.
Head-to-Head
Played: 4
CRO won: 2
CZE won: 0
Drawn: 2
Top Five Fantasy Points scorers (last match)
CRO: L Modric (5 pts), S Vrsaljko (4.5 pts), M Kovacic (4 pts), D Caleta-Car (4 pts), D Vida (3.5 pts)
CZE: P Schick (21.5 pts), V Coufal (13.5 pts), T Soucek (10 pts), T Vaclik (9 pts), C Ondrej (8 pts)
Stats & Facts
- V Coufal (DEF) grabbed an assist and completed 39 passes against Scotland in the Euro 2020 Group D match
- I Perisic (FOR) scored in the last meeting between Croatia and the Czech Republic
- T Vaclik (GK) had made six saves against Scotland in the Euro 2020 Group D match
- L Modric (MID) completed 64 passes against England in the Euro 2020 Group D match
- P Schick (FOR) had five shots on target against Scotland in the Euro 2020 Group D match
Injuries/Suspensions
CRO: B Barisic (injured)
CZE: none
Playing 11
CRO (possible): D Livakovic; S Vrsaljko, D Lovren, D Vida, J Gvardiol; L Modric, M Kovacic; A Rebic, N Vlasic, I Perisic; B Petkovic
CZE (possible): T Vaclik; V Coufal, C Ondrej, T Kalas, B Jan; A Kral, T Soucek; L Masopust, V Darida, J Jankto; P Schick
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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