Czechia take on the visitors Ukraine in the round 2 match of UEFA Nations League group stage. The match will be played on Tuesday, September 10th at Fortuna Arena (Prague).
The Czech Republic was one of the biggest disappointments of the summer championship. "Lokomotiva" showcased a decent level last year. Together with a surprisingly strong Albania, they comfortably beat a struggling Poland — the nominal favorites ended up 4 points behind their competitors. However, at the Euros in Germany, the Czechs could have achieved more, but they were hindered by major defensive errors. In the opening match, after taking the lead against Portugal, goalkeeper Staněk and defender Granach gifted the opposition an equalizer, and then the same defender practically handed the ball to Conceição in front of an open goal. He also conceded a handball against Georgia, which led to a draw. Finally, in the 94th minute, the team lost to Turkey — though they would have been eliminated regardless. The fall began with a match in Tbilisi, resulting in a heavy 1-4 defeat.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Under Rebrov, the "Yellow and Blues" had been delivering solid performances for a while. They were the first team to take points from the group’s favorites, England. Italy held onto second place only on tiebreakers with equal points and a controversial late incident in Donnarumma's box. Forced into the playoffs, Ukraine came from behind in both matches against Bosnia and Iceland, winning 2-1 each time. However, they couldn’t pull off the same trick in their Euro opener against Romania, suffering a heavy defeat. They learned their lesson and later beat Slovakia. But before the third match, all teams in the group had 3 points, meaning Yarmolenko and company had to go for a win to avoid relying on the integrity of others. In the end, they finished 0-0 with Belgium, and the parallel match "unexpectedly" ended 1-1. With just 4 points, Ukraine finished last — for the first time ever at the Euros! Now, after slightly refreshing the squad with Dynamo Kyiv players, including debutant Kabayev, they suffered another setback in Prague against Albania. Despite taking the lead somewhat undeservedly, the nominal favorites quickly conceded twice and couldn't create anything to even salvage a draw.
The first meeting, in 2011, was won by the Czechs. The next two friendly matches ended in draws. In the 2018 Nations League, the "Yellow and Blues" won both games. The hosts will be the favorites, but there are plenty of questions and doubts surrounding them. It shouldn’t be a dull match, so we’re betting on "total over 2.5 goals."
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
