Portugal vs Czech Republic, the First Game at Euro 2024

Closing the first day of the European Championship will be Portugal, which will face the Czech Republic this evening in the Group F match.

The team led by coach Roberto Martinez is ready to respond to the other competitors and wants to prove to be a serious contender for the final victory.

Leao is expected to start, with Cristiano Ronaldo favored from the first minute over Gonçalo Ramos. The Czechs want to surprise and rely on Schick.

Coach Ivan Hašek’s team will then face Georgia, who are considered outsiders, and Turkey.

Portugal and Czechia have got used to meeting at EURO final tournaments; this will be their fourth such encounter since 1996, with the Czechs winning the first 1-0 at EURO ’96 and Portugal prevailing in the other two – 3-1 in 2008 and 1-0 in 2012.

Recent tussles would suggest another success for Roberto Martínez’s side given that Portugal have won the last four meetings, keeping clean sheets in the last three.

Expert predictions

Ondřej Zlámal, Czechia reporter

To win this game, the Czechs will need to put in a performance for the ages: great teamwork, tight defending and probably a few solid saves from the goalkeeper. The main battle may be in midfield, where Portugal will seek to gain control and push Hašek’s charges back towards their own goal, with chances for Ronaldo and Rafael Leão inevitably following. Czechia have quality players, though, so expect them to pile forward in numbers when opportunity knocks.

Probable Lineups 

PORTUGAL (4-3-3): Diogo Costa; Cancelo, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Nuno Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Leao.

CZECH REPUBLIC (3-5-2): Stanek; Zima, Holes, Krejci; Coufal, Soucek, Provod, Barak, D. Jurasek; Hlozek, Schick.

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