The group stage of UEFA Euro 2024 is coming to an end as we approach the final set of fixtures before reaching the knockouts. There are still plenty of things to iron out in every single group, and given some of the chaos we’ve seen so far, we’re expecting a few more twists and turns along the way. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the intriguing clash between Czech Republic and Turkey.
Czech Republic Form GuideCzech Republic have failed to qualify for the World Cup since back in 2006. In the Euros, though, they’ve qualified at every available opportunity as an independent nation, dating all the way back to 1996. They’re a strange team to watch with that inconsistency being at the forefront of their identity, and based on recent evidence, we’d say they’ll make another strong push in Germany.
The Czechs battled hard against Portugal in their opener and that much is an understatement, but unfortunately for them, it wasn’t quite enough. They wound up falling to a 2-1 defeat and in their next outing, they were only able to muster up a 1-1 draw against Georgia.
Turkey Form GuideIn the last 16 World Cups, Turkey have only qualified for the final tournament once - finishing in third place. In the Euros, however, they tend to have a bit more luck, having qualified for three of the last four editions. They did only manage to reach the group stage in the last two but at the very least, there’s a clear direction for them as a squad, especially with one of the most intimidating fanbases in world football.
Turkey had to overcome some real adversity in their opener against Georgia as they prevailed 3-1 following a real scare from the underdogs. Alas, in their encounter with Portugal, they simply couldn’t get things going as they fell to a disappointing 3-0 defeat.
Match PredictionThese two nations have been involved in some classics in the past and we expect more of the same here given the stakes that are involved. This has the potential to be a really fun game and with that in mind, for our prediction, we’re going to shoot for over 2.5 goals scored.