Czech Republic vs Denmark – News and Probable Lineups

The Czech Republic will face Denmark in Prague on Tuesday, where a spot in the World Cup is at stake.

The hosts advanced to the Path A final after defeating the Republic of Ireland in a tense matchup that went to extra time and penalties last week, while Denmark comfortably overcame North Macedonia.

Match overview

The Czech Republic will take to the pitch again in Prague this Tuesday, looking to secure their first World Cup appearance since 2006, having missed out on the last four tournaments.

They earned a playoff position via a solid qualifying phase, finishing second in Group L with 16 points from eight matches, including five victories and just two defeats.

This successful run concluded with a commanding 6-0 victory over Gibraltar in November’s final qualifying round, leaving them two wins away from the World Cup group stages. They faced the Republic of Ireland in a semi-final last week, under new head coach Miroslav Koubek, who took over in December.

The Narodak fell behind twice in that match, but Patrik Schick equalized in the first half. Even after trailing 2-1 with only five minutes remaining, they managed to force extra time through Ladislav Krejci’s equalizer, and after a goalless additional period, they triumphed in a penalty shootout, courtesy of two saves from Matej Kovar and the winning kick from Jan Kliment.

Now, with another home match ahead and the opportunity to return to the global stage for the first time since being eliminated in the group stage in 2006, the Czech Republic aims to secure a fourth consecutive win in all competitions and a third straight qualifying win, with this fixture being the most crucial one.

However, they are up against a formidable opponent, as Denmark arrives for the final stretch of their qualifying campaign following a convincing semi-final win.

In contrast to their hosts, Denmark is looking to secure a third consecutive World Cup qualification, having reached the round of 16 in the 2018 tournament before struggling in the group stage in 2022.

They narrowly missed out on top spot in Group C, which would have guaranteed automatic qualification, finishing with 11 points from six games, including a critical loss to Scotland in their final fixture, leading to a semi-final playoff against North Macedonia.

Last week, Brian Riemer’s squad excelled in that challenge, delivering a 4-0 defeat to North Macedonia, despite being scoreless at halftime. Mikkel Damsgaard broke the deadlock, followed by Gustav Isaksen scoring twice before the hour mark, and Christian Norgaard rounded off the scoring 15 minutes from the end.

Denmark will travel to Prague intent on building on their dominant performance in the last match and securing their passage to this summer’s World Cup.

Team News

The Czech Republic is expected to retain a similar starting XI to the one that faced the Republic of Ireland last week, although Tomas Soucek, Michal Sadilek, Stepan Chaloupek, and Jan Kliment are contending for starting spots after coming off the bench in that match.

Key winger Vaclav Cerny was sidelined due to injury and missed the playoffs, but Pavel Sulc presents another attacking threat, having netted 11 goals in 22 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon this season.

Krejci from Wolverhampton Wanderers remains a crucial defender and will wear the captain’s armband, while Schick is the primary attacking option with 25 international goals in 51 appearances.

Denmark may field an unchanged lineup from their 4-0 win on Thursday; however, they faced several injury challenges during squad selection with Kasper Schmeichel, Andreas Christensen, Rasmus Kristensen, Patrick Dorgu, and Jannik Vestergaard all unavailable due to injuries.

Philip Billing, Yussuf Poulsen, and Andreas Skov Olsen were also unable to be included, but Brian Riemer could reinstate important defender Joachim Andersen, who was suspended for the semi-final.

Due to the absences of key players like Vestergaard and Christensen, Andersen may be restored to the starting XI, while Rasmus Hojlund from Napoli is anticipated to head the attack, supported by Damsgaard and Isaksen, both of whom scored their fifth and sixth international goals last match.

Czech Republic probable starting XI:

Blacksmith; Holes, Krejci, Hranac; Coufal, Provod, Soucek, Jurasek; Schick, Chory, Sulc

Denmark probable starting XI:

Hermansen; Bah, Norgaard, Andersen, Maehle; Hjumland, Hojbjerg; Isaksen, Froholdt, Damsgaard; Hojlund

Given that Denmark is playing away in this final, coupled with the significant absences in their squad, we see them holding a slight advantage in what is expected to be a closely contested match in Prague, and we anticipate the visitors to achieve their third consecutive World Cup qualification given the wealth of talent they possess.