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June 21 – Czechia are eyeing their first points of their Euro 2024 campaign against Georgia on Saturday afternoon after their last-second loss to Portugal left a bitter taste in an otherwise encouraging opening performance.
Sat joint-botyom of the group on zero points, both teams will recognise the importance of this match if they are to progress into the next round of the competition.
“We did a detailed analysis of the Georgia game versus Türkiye. Both teams were very equal, Georgia were very dangerous and were unlucky. They play as a team,” said Czechia head coach Ivan Hašek (pictured).
“We really have to stop them from having free spaces. We have to be really focussed and concentrate. They cannot be allowed to counter attack as that is their biggest threat.”
Reflecting on his own team’s opening to the tournament – marked by a late 2-1 loss to Portugal – Hasek said: “In the first game we lacked courage. We had to defend all the time and didn’t have the strength to attack- that was the main problem.”
The coach still saw plenty of positives, particularly in the determination of captain Tomas Soucek playing through pain of an injury picked up at the end of the club season.
“Soucek is a true captain,” said Hasek. “He represents his team on and off the pitch and it’s important to have him.”
“I didn’t even notice Soucek was having health issues!” Added Czechia midfielder Antonín Barak.
“He really doesn’t show anything and he really doesn’t get any slack in training. Everybody has health issues at the end of a season, but everyone wants to be here at the euros to give everything.
“This is a tournament you don’t get to do often – if you get the chance you just take it. For Thomas it’s the same- if he can play, he will.”
Plying his trade for Serie A side Fiorentina, Barak is more than familiar with the attacking presence in the Georgia team, headlined by Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Barak, who has…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/06/22/chechias-ivan-hasek-says-ready-georgias-kvaratskhelia/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-06-22 00:34:22
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