Georgia hopes to have learned the lessons from their European Championship debut against Turkey. The Czech Republic, meanwhile, should release the handbrake they applied against Portugal.
- Also read: Austria’s chances of reaching the round of 16: This is how it currently looks
Newcomer Georgia impressed against Turkey (1:3) with a fearless, combative performance and many goal-scoring opportunities. What was missing to win a point? “A bit of talent, a bit of experience,” explained team manager Willy Sagnol. “Things that we can only gain by taking part in tournaments like this.” For the former world-class defender from France, one thing is certain: “The more games like this we play, the better we will be.”
Otar Kiteishvili of Sturm Graz was on the bench after suffering an injury in what was possibly the most exciting match of the tournament. The midfielder is currently recovering from a calf injury sustained in the final European Championship test, and is expected to be fit again for the Czech Republic match on Saturday.
Czech Republic is expected to be more offensive
The Eastern Europeans will face a Czech team that had little possession against Portugal. The defensive focus to neutralize Portugal’s ball artists will now certainly be softened. Key players such as Patrik Schick, the second-best goalscorer at Euro 2021, could thus come to life and will probably get a new strike partner.
They showed great heart and sacrificed against Portugal, explained Schick. “If we go into the next games like this, become more active and show a little, or rather a lot more, going forward, we can be successful,” said the goal scorer from German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
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Source: Nachrichten
