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Football EM 2021: The most important thing about the game Scotland against the Czech Republic

2021-06-16T12:33:44.739Z


You don't know anything about football but want to have a say? No problem: you have to reckon with the giant Adam in the Czech Republic. And Scotland's hope rests on a native Englishman. The teams in a quick check.


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Adam Hložek - 18 years old, 1.88 meters tall, status: child prodigy

Photo:

MICHAL CIZEK / AFP

CZECH REPUBLIC

The years of the Pavel Nedveds, Tomáš Rosickýs and also the Petr Čechs are over: The football nation Czech Republic (at 3 p.m. against Scotland; stream: MagentaTV) no longer has any stars, it has been that way for several years.

So far, however, it has been enough to qualify for the European Championship: The collective around seasoned professionals like captain Vladimir Darida plays a physical, intense football that can overwhelm smaller football nations that have few playful solutions.

The fact that Slavia Prague's good work has gradually brought new hopes to the national team has not changed anything in terms of football home cooking: In the Europa League, the club has celebrated some successes in recent years, the sixths Tomáš Souček (West Ham United) and Alex Král (Spartak Moscow) used this as a stepping stone into larger leagues.

Probably the most exciting representative of the new generation of Czech players is playing at Prague's local rival Sparta: Adam Hložek, only 18 years old, is almost child prodigy.

The 1.88-meter-tall striker did not make a league game for five months this season due to a metatarsal fracture - and was nevertheless top scorer after a four-pack on the last day of the game.

Hložek has only been a wild card in the national team so far, but should get his playing times.

With its robustness and dribbling strength, it can certainly cause a sensation from the bench.

Before the Czech Republic has real stars again (and thus realistic chances of achieving more than if you were lucky enough to reach the round of 16), some water will have to flow down the Vltava.

SCOTLAND

Nine goals, five assists: Southampton's attacker Ché Adams' Premier League season wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular either.

Nevertheless, the fans of the Scottish national team are currently completely enraptured by the 24-year-old - because Adams, born in Leicester and former England U-international, seems to solve the Scottish storm problem a bit with his association change in the spring.

Thanks to Adams' Scottish grandfather, national coach Scott Clarke can rely on a fast, active striker who also plays in a top division.

The Scots do not have someone of this caliber in the squad a second time: The quality is concentrated on a few positions in midfield and on the defensive, the stars of the squad are left-back Andrew Robertson from Liverpool FC and Manchester United's sixth Scott McTominay.

Beyond the few top players, the quality of the team is not enough to compete with the Croatians or their big neighbor England, even if the derby on the second group match day at Wembley is likely to be an emotional highlight.

In this respect, the start against the Czech Republic can be a preliminary decision for Scotland in the battle for third place.

With Adams, who scored twice in his first four appearances for the Bravehearts, the outsider's chances are not bad - especially since they haven't lost in 2021 and even wrested a 2-2 draw from the Netherlands.

At least no opponent can expect a self-runner against the defensive Scots.

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2021-06-16

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