UEFA EURO 2024 Group Stage
19 June, 2024 - Indian Date
Leipzig Stadium
MATCH TIMES
India
12:30 AM
UAE
11:00 PM
Saudi Arabia
09:45 PM
Portugal possible starting lineup: Costa; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha, Fernandes; Leao, Ronaldo, Bernardo
Czech Republic possible starting lineup: Stanek; Holes, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Soucek, Provod, Barak, Jurasek; Kuchta, Schick
Match Preview
One of the favourites for this summer's European Championship, Portugal, will kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against the Czech Republic at Leipzig Stadium on Tuesday evening. Portugal, who triumphed at Euro 2016, are strong contenders once again, having reached the semi-finals three times and the last-16 in Euro 2020. Under the new management of Roberto Martinez, who took over after the 2022 World Cup, the team has shown positive signs and boasts a star-studded squad brimming with talent and experience.
Portugal's recent form includes a 3-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in a friendly, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice. Despite losing two of their last four matches, they are favourites to top Group F, which includes Turkey and Georgia. Portugal’s fixture list sees them facing Turkey next on June 22 and Georgia on June 26, with the knockout stages beginning soon after.
The Czech Republic, on the other hand, comes into the tournament with momentum, having won their last five matches, including a 2-1 win over North Macedonia in their final warm-up game. Historically, they have performed well in the Euros, finishing as runners-up in 1996 and reaching the semi-finals in 2004. Their qualification campaign for Euro 2024 was solid, finishing ahead of Poland in Group E with 15 points from eight matches. However, they have a challenging task ahead, as they have lost four of their previous five encounters with Portugal.
Portugal's squad selection presents a pleasant dilemma for Martinez due to the depth of talent available. Cristiano Ronaldo, poised to make history by playing in his sixth European Championship, will lead the attack, aiming to become the oldest scorer in the tournament. Veteran defender Pepe, set to become the oldest player in the competition’s history, will anchor the defense. The attacking lineup could feature Rafael Leao and Bernardo Silva alongside Ronaldo, with Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and Joao Palhinha likely starting in midfield.
For the Czech Republic, the absence of Michal Sadilek due to injury is a setback. However, the team will rely on the experience of West Ham United's Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek. Patrik Schick, the squad’s top scorer, will lead the attack, supported potentially by Adam Hlozek. The Czech team aims to leverage their solid recent form and historical prowess to make a significant impact in the tournament.