Czech Republic v Poland [Euro 2012 Group A]
V
Venue - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw
Live Streams - http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?...52&part=sports
TEAM NEWS
Poland, who need to beat Czech Republic to reach the knockout stage, have three injury worries ahead of their final Group A match.
Defender Damien Perquis suffered a deep cut to his shin in the 1-1 draw against Russia, while midfielder Dariusz Dudka aggravated an abdominal strain.
Eugen Polanski picked up a badly bruised knee and all three will be monitored before the game.
Czech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky is a slight doubt with an Achilles injury.
The Czechs also need a win to qualify, and knock Poland out, although a draw might also be enough.MATCH PREVIEW
The Polish national anthem is often referred to by its opening line - "Poland Is Not Yet Lost" - and that is certainly the case in Group A despite back-to-back draws for the co-hosts.
Their fate is still in their own hands - a victory will guarantee qualification for the quarter-finals, taking the Poles through to the knock-out stage of a major tournament for the first time since the 1986 World Cup.
It's now or never for Poland, who will be making their sixth attempt to win a European Championship match. Franciszek Smuda's side certainly have not looked out of place so far, creating plenty of chances against Russia and dominating the first half against Greece.
Smuda admitted his side were "paralysed by pressure" in the second half of that game, but they cannot afford to make a nervous start in Wroclaw. The Czech Republic flew out of the blocks in their last match against the Greeks, making European Championship history by netting twice in the first six minutes.
Victory will guarantee Michal Bilek's men reach the quarter-finals, while defeat will send them out. A draw will also good enough if Greece fail to beat Russia, or (almost inconcievably) Russia lose by a six-goal margin.
The permutations may be a bit complex, but there is one certainty - the atmosphere in Wroclaw should be one to savour. The city is only an hour's drive from the Polish-Czech border, and the 9,000 available tickets were quickly snapped up by Czech fans.
In total, it is estimated that up to 50,000 visiting supporters will travel to Wroclaw, where the city's fan zone has been enlarged accordingly. Authorities hope there will be no repeat of the trouble that blighted Poland's game with Russia - historically Poles have a much easier relationship with their southern Slavic neighbours.LINE-UPS Czech Republic v Poland
Czech Republic: Cech, Gebre Selassie, Sivok, Kadlec, Limbersky, Hubschman, Plasil, Jiracek, Kolar, Pilar, Baros. Subs: Lastuvka, Suchy, Hubnik, Necid, Rezek, Rosicky, Petrzela, Rajtoral, Pekhart, Lafata, Darida, Drobny.
Poland: Tyton, Piszczek, Wasilewski, Perquis, Boenisch, Dudka, Polanski, Blaszczykowski, Murawski, Obraniak, Lewandowski. Subs: Szczesny, Wojtkowiak, Kaminski, Matuszczyk, Rybus, Wawrzyniak, Sobiech, Mierzejewski, Wolski, Grosicki, Brozek, Sandomierski.
Referee: Craig Thomson (Scotland)
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- The five previous meetings between the sides all ended in home wins - Poland claiming three victories and the Czech Republic two.
- The only competitive encounters came in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup; Poland won 2-1 in Chorzow in October 2008, while the Czechs triumphed 2-0 in Prague 12 months later.
Poland
- A draw would make Poland the first team to share the points in all three of their group games at a European Championship.
- The Poles have lost just once in 14 games, a run lasting a year. Their only defeat in that time was a 2-0 loss to Italy in November 2011. They are unbeaten in their last eight games (W5, D3).
- They converted 2.6% of shots into goals at Euro 2008, the worst record at that tournament, and have found the net with just two of 28 efforts at Euro 2012 (7.1%).
- If Poland don't win they will join Romania and Switzerland as the only sides who failed to win their first six European Championship games. Both Romania and Switzerland had to wait until their ninth match for their first victories. No team has played as many games the Poles without winning at the tournament.
Czech Republic
- Milan Baros was top scorer at Euro 2004 with five goals. Only six players have scored six or more goals at European Championships: Michel Platini (9), Alan Shearer (7), plus Ruud van Nistelrooy, Patrick Kluivert, Thierry Henry and Nuno Gomes (all with 6).
- The Czechs' game against Greece produced only 15 shots - the fewest at a European Championship game since 1980.
- Against the Greeks they became the first side to establish a two-goal lead in the first six minutes of a European Championship match.
- Petr Jiracek's goal against Greece, after two minutes & 14 seconds, is the third fastest in European Championship history. The only players to score quicker goals are Russia's Dmitri Kirichenko (one minute & 7 seconds against Greece in 2004), and the USSR's Sergei Aleinikov (two minutes & 7 seconds against England in 1988).
Say 
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Admin
