Netherlands

The Netherlands national team almost stumbled in the Euro 2020 opening match against Ukraine, allowing the Ukrainians to equalize within a few minutes after leading 2-0, and only regained the lead in the 85th minute. In the other group matches against Austria (2-0) and North Macedonia (3-0), the Netherlands team managed without major problems. In both matches, the Netherlands team dominated not only in attack but also in defense, which was identified as one of the main weaknesses of the team after the match with Ukraine.

The Netherlands team tries to play the ball until an ideal opportunity to shoot arises, so we often do not see an exceptionally high number of shots on goal in their matches. In almost every match, we could see that one player or another, having a good opportunity to shoot, tries to create an even better opportunity for themselves or a teammate, so such attacks often end either in a goal or a lost ball, but as we can see – this style of play pays off.

The Netherlands national team coach De Boer, who was criticized before the tournament, is gradually proving that his strategy works and the chosen 3-4-1-2 formation is justified. The Netherlands team had not won 4 consecutive matches in the European Championships since Euro 2000, and had not participated in the quarter-finals since Euro 2020, so a victory against the Czech Republic team would finally break this poor streak and help the coach “raise his value.”

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic national team started the group stage with a confident victory against Scotland, and forward P. Schick scored 2 goals, one of which was scored almost from the halfway line. After the victory against the Scots, a match with Croatia followed, which ended in a draw. Nevertheless, for those who watched this match, there should be no questions about which team looked better – the Czechs created more opportunities than the Croats and definitely deserved to win 3 points. In the last group match against England, the Czechs also demonstrated good football, but no team has yet managed to break through the English defense in this tournament – including the Czech Republic.

No one expected much from the Czechs before this tournament, and advancing from the group was considered a good achievement for this team. Nevertheless, based on the game the Czechs are demonstrating, it is clear that this team should not be underestimated. As contradictory as it may sound, the Netherlands team could be one of the more favorable opponents for the Czechs in the knockout stages. Although the Netherlands did not concede a goal against Austria and North Macedonia, Ukraine showed that there are gaps in the Netherlands defense. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic team looks better in terms of gameplay than Ukraine, so they can definitely score their goal, and then everything will depend on the defense.

The Czech Republic team conceded only 2 goals throughout the group stage in a group that included England, Croatia, and Scotland, so if they score a goal and demonstrate at least similar defense to what we saw in the group stage, we can expect surprises in this match.

Predicted starting line-ups:

Netherlands:
Stekelenburg; De Vrij, Blind, De Ligt; Dumfries, De Jong, De Roon, Van Aanholt; Wijnaldum; Depay, Weghorst;

Czech Republic:
Vaclik; Coufal, Celustka, Kalas, Mateju; Holes, Soucek; Masopust, Darida, Jankto; Schick.

Prediction

The Netherlands are considered clear favorites for the match, and this is understandable – the team has not lost in this tournament yet. Nevertheless, the Czech Republic should not be underestimated, and it would not be surprising if we see a much more competitive match than many predict. The Czechs should score their goal, but the Netherlands' attack looks excellent, so we will probably see 3-4 goals in this match.