Jun 18, 2024
Familiar foes Portugal, Czechia meet at Euro on TSN
Champions in 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal open up their Euro 2024 with a tricky fixture against Czechia. The match will mark the fourth time these two nations have met in a Euro, but the first time since 2012. You can catch Portugal vs. Czechia LIVE on Tuesday with coverage getting underway at 2:30pm et/11:30am pt on TSN1/4, streaming on the TSN App and on TSN.ca.
TSN.ca Staff
Champions in 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal open up their Euro 2024 with a tricky fixture against Czechia.
The match will mark the fourth time these two nations have met in a Euro, but the first time since 2012.
You can catch Portugal vs. Czechia LIVE on Tuesday with coverage getting underway at 2:30pm et/11:30am pt on TSN1/4, streaming on the TSN App and on TSN.ca.
Facing off against a team loaded with stars, Czechia manager Ivan Hasek says it's impossible to focus on just one player when you're taking on a team the calibre of Portugal.
"It's not just about Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, there is also Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leão and many more," Hasek said. "They have great quality both up front and at the back. We will not underestimate them, we know about their qualities, but we also want to focus on our team."
Captain Tomas Soucek won the Europa Conference League in 2023 with West Ham and is used to big-pressure nights in Europe. He believes his team won't be fazed by the opposition.
"We will start at 0-0 and our chances of getting a result are great," Soucek said. "We want to take the game to them, and not be treated as outsiders. Every point counts in this group. We all want to advance and we will give everything from the first to the last minute."
Portugal gaffer Roberto Martinez believes he will be taking on a team unafraid to take big chances.
"I think Czechia's style is very clear," Martinez said. "It's about taking risks, pressing high, with players who want to score goals. They play to win and it will be a fantastic game for neutral fans."
Should he take the pitch against Czechia, or at any time during the tournament, Ronaldo will become the first player to play in six different Euros.
"Cristiano represents that it is possible to dream and achieve many things," Portugal teammate Ruben Dias of Manchester City said. "It is a pleasure to have him with us. We have experience with older players mixed with younger players. We all have experience in our clubs and we are prepared for competitions like this. In a tournament like the Euro we have to build the spirit."
Portugal holds a 2-1 edge over Czechia in their previous three meetings at the tournament. In 1996, also in Germany, Czechia reached the semis with a 1-0 win over Portugal on a goal from Karel Poborsky. Twelve years later in the group stage in Geneva, goals from Ronaldo, Deco and Ricardo Quaresma gave Portugal a 3-1 win. Most recently, in 2012, a 79th-minute goal from Ronaldo helped Portugal advance to the semis with a 1-0 victory over Czechia.
POTENTIAL PORTUGAL XI (3-4-2-1): Diogo Costa; Antonio Silva, Ruben Dias, Goncalo Inacio; Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Cancelo; Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao; Cristiano Ronaldo
POTENTIAL CZECHIA XI (3-4-1-2): Jindrich Stanek; Tomas Holes, Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejci; Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Soucek, Lukas Provod, David Doudera; Antonin Barak; Patrik Schick, Adam Hlozek