The Czech Republic is short of stars, but they do have firepower. They finished ahead of Iceland, Turkey and the Netherlands winning four of six matches against those teams. The Czech Republic scored 19 goals to top their qualifying group with 11 different goal-scorers in qualifying.
Overall, the Czechs are a group brimming with potential. They can make the Round of 16, but winning the tournament is a long shot. The Czech Republic is -125 to qualify from Group D. They’re +150 to make the Round of 16.
Team Weaknesses:
The Czech Republic has one glaring weakness—defense. They conceded 14 goals in qualifying, the most among the 24 teams that qualified. Goaltender Petr Cech remains solid as their last line of defense, but he’s no miracle worker. If the Czechs have a shot at advancing through the group, then better defense in front of Cech a must.
Team Stats (During Euro Qualifiers):
Category
Stat
Goals Scored Per Game
1.9
Goals Conceded Per Game
1.4
Goal Attempts Per Game
13.2
Pass Completion Percentage
85%
Ball Possession Percentage
52%
Starting Lineup:
Position
Name (Age)
Career Caps
Goals
Goalie
Petr Cech (34)
118
0
Defender
Pavel Kaderabek (24)
15
2
Defender
Michal Kadlec (31)
63
8
Defender
Tomas Sivok (32)
52
5
Defender
David Limbersky (32)
35
1
Midfielder
Jaroslav Plasil (34)
97
6
Midfielder
David Pavelka (25)
5
0
Midfielder
Borek Dockal (27)
23
6
Midfielder
Vladimir Darida (25)
33
1
Midfielder
Ladislav Krejci (23)
5
0
Forward
Tomas Necid (26)
36
9
Writer’s Prediction
The Czech Republic make the Round of 16 as one of the best third-place teams.
