The Czech Republic arrives in good form to the championship, which is very important when facing one of the favorites, Portugal. I have seen all 3 friendly matches of Portugal, and the view is worrying as they have changed their long-time coach and the team's face. While under Fernando Santos, Portugal's defense was like a wall, rarely conceding a goal and relying on one goal wins in the attack. Now, former Belgium coach Roberto Martinez is in charge, whose perspective on football starts with the offense. They recently played friendly matches against Finland, scoring 2 goals, and against Peru, scoring 4 goals. They lost to Croatia 1-2, with opportunities on both sides but could have ended in a 3-3 draw on a different day. Against Ireland, they secured a 3-0 win, with the Irish showing nothing in attack but managing to cover the spread. These 3 friendlies perfectly describe Portugal - strong in offense, capable of scoring 3 goals on their own, but not as solid in defense and vulnerable to even slightly stronger opponents. This brings us back to the form of the Czech Republic, who have won 5 games in a row, including a 3-0 victory against Moldova in the Euro qualifiers and 4 friendly matches. They have defeated Norway 2-1, Armenia 2-1, Malta 7-1, and Macedonia 2-1, scoring at least 2 goals in each match and only conceding 1 goal to even weaker opponents like Malta. In attack, the Czech team looks good, which could pose a threat to Portugal's defense, which has been vulnerable under Martinez. Based on how these teams have been playing and their strengths and weaknesses, we can expect at least 3 goals to be scored in this match.
- Voted: 15
Comments (0)