Portugal will begin their UEFA Euro 2024 campaign against familiar foes Czechia, with both teams aiming to get an early foothold in Group F.
Roberto Martinez will bring his experience and expertise to this Portugal side for the first time in a big tournament as they get set to take on Czechia on Tuesday. The Spaniard had previously managed Belgium in two World Cups and Euro 2020, with things ending with the Red Devils on a sour note after the debacle in Qatar in 2022.
Portugal come into Euro 2024 in optimum form, as they were the only team with a 100% record in qualifying and were a supreme presence in front of the goal. They were also defensively solid in those rounds, and Martinez will hope to carry forward that form into the finals and will aim to give the supporters a different competition than the drab affair they have witnessed at times at major tournaments.
This Seleccao are full of talented stars in every position and will once again be led by the formidable Cristiano Ronaldo, who takes part in his sixth Euro finals. Either way, Portugal will come into this tournament firmly in the group of teams considered favourites and are certainly the front-runners on paper to progress into the next round as group winners.
Czechia will not be seen as challengers for the title, nor will they boast the tag of favourites to progress from the group. However, they have a consistent record of protecting at the finals, and that will be Ivan Hasek’s primary goal when heading to Germany.
Czechia also boast a steady defensive setup, having been a mean presence during qualifying, and the manager will hope that is the case in their group games. Hasek, however, has the youngest and probably the least experienced squad at the finals, which will test their character against teams like Portugal and others in their group.
They are taking part in their 11th finals, and eighth in a row, with their uninterrupted streak only bettered by Germany and France. The game against Portugal will also be Czechia’s fourth meeting with the Seleccao in the European finals, although they won their previous two back in 2008 and 2012.
Team News & Tactics
Portugal
Roberto Martinez will have selection headaches up until the time he names his final teamsheet ahead of the game against Czechia. The big dilemma will be to choose from the set of defenders in the central zones, which will come to determine his final formation.
He has to decide on using the 41-year-old veteran Pepe or resist the temptation and go with a younger centre-back like Antonio Silva or Goncalo Inacio. Martinez might use Silva in his backline and partner him alongside Ruben Dias, while Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo will likely occupy the full-back spots.
Joao Palhinha can be used as a lone midfielder at the base of the midfield for Portugal, as he could then protect and allow the more attack-minded Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha to flourish. In the attack, Ronaldo is expected to lead the line for Portugal against Czechia, with Bernardo Silva set to play from the right and supported by Rafael Laeao on the left-hand side of the front three.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Costa; Dalot, A.Silva, Dias, Cancelo; Vitinha, Palhinha, Fernandes; B.Silva, Ronaldo, Leao
Czechia
Czechia suffered an early blow to their preparations as key midfielder Michal Sadilek pulled out of the squad due to an injury he sustained while riding his bike. He would have been a certain starter for Hasek’s men, which may have forced the manager to re-think his selection for the group stages.
Czechia does boast a host of key players with plenty of experience at the highest level, with the likes of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal headlining that particular group. Patrik Schick is another one with a high pedigree in this Czechia squad and will surely start games for them in the frontline, as will Jan Kuchta.
Even on the bench, Hasek has a few options, including attacker Adam Hlozek, who may have only two goals for his country but is certainly a formidable option to call upon from the bench in games. The manager will go with a back three and persist with wingbacks, although this shape could be altered depending on how they perform against Portugal.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Stanek; Holes, Hiranc, Krejci; Coufal, Soucek, Provod, Barak, Jurasek; Kuchta, Schick
Key Stats
- Portugal have won their last four matches against Czechia in all competitions.
- Portugal has kept a clean sheet in all of their last three matches against Czechia.
- Portugal and Czechia will meet for the fourth time in a European Championship game.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has the most Euros appearances, goals, and joint-most assists, and he has scored at least one goal in each of his five tournaments.
- Czechia has the third-longest uninterrupted streak of successive participation in Euros, as they will feature for an eighth time in a row.
Player to Watch
Cristiano Ronaldo
While Portugal has a host of big-name stars, none are bigger than the formidable Ronaldo. The Al-Nassr superstar will feature in his sixth European finals and has scored in each of the previous five editions. As things stand, he boasts the record for the most goals, joint-most assists, and most appearances by a player at the Euros.
Having won the tournament earlier in his career, Ronaldo will hope to add the crown once again, and this time, he might like the squad Roberto Martinez has chosen to take. At the end of Fernando Santos’s reign, Ronaldo fell out of favour with the experienced coach but seems to be at home under Martinez, as he hopes to have a solid performance in Germany this time around.
Prediction
Portugal 3-1 Czechia
Czechia have been consistent over decades in Euro finals. But they will have to rely on a largely inexperienced squad to get things done. The pressure will be on them right before the game, as they will face a tough challenge of progressing from the group should they suffer a defeat at the hands of Portugal in the opening game.
Portugal will come into this clash as heavy favourites to get three points and set the marker in Group F. Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. will certainly aim to finish on top and will want to carry forward their form from the qualifying campaign and into the finals. Portugal will comfortably take the three points and probably show some defensive frailties at the back, which could see Czechia score an odd consolation goal.