Match report: Croatia 1-1 Czech Republic
Louis Taylor was at Hampden Park for the Guardian to see the points shared by two sides who seemed happy with a draw.
And here’s some further reading before Super Saturday:
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England v Scotland
Group D: It’s been a closely guarded secret but I can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that England are playing Scotland at Wembley tonight. Kick off is at 8pm (BST) and you can follow the build-up here ...
Luka Modric speaks: “There is a bitter taste after this match, as we didn’t win,” he says. “We entered the match really disorganised, but then we looked better in the second half. We scored that goal and we could have scored even more, but unfortunately we didn’t win. Now, we have to defeat Scotland to go through.”
How things stand: The Czech Republic are top of the table with four points from two games, with England a point behind them having played one game fewer. Croatia are in third place with one point from two games, while Scotland whip them in with no points from the one game they’ve played.
There were just 5,607 souls at Hampden Park for that match. I'll be surprised if that figure is beaten for lowest attendance of Euro 2021.
— Jonathan O'Brien (@obrien_jonathan) June 18, 2021
Match recap: Patrik Schick scored his third of the tournament from the spot in the first half after Dejan Lovren was penalised for catching the Czech striker with an elbow as the pair contested a high ball. Croatia roared out of the traps in the second half and restored parity with a fine goal from Ivan Perisic. And then ... nothing.
Full time: Croatia 1-1 Czech Republic
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeep! It’s all over at Hampden Park, where Croatia have come from behind to draw with the Czech Republic in a result that means England can book their passage through to the last 16 with a win over Scotland. It was a fairly dire contest but both teams are happy with the outcome.
90+2 min: Petkovic wins his side a free-kick wide on the right after being fouled by Adam Hlozeck. The 18-year-old gets booked for his troubles. Luka Modric’s free-kick is headed away by Adam Kral and that’s it in Hampden Park.
90 min: A draw seems a fair enough result in a match neither team has made a particularly concerted effort to win. They have around three minutes or so left to do so.
89 min: Petkovic swivels and shoots at the Czech goal from close range, only to see his effort blocked and put out for a corner by Tomas Kalas. From that corner, Croatia win another. It’s cleared.
87 min: Czech subbstitute: Antonin Barak on for Vladimir Darida. Croatia substitute: Marcelo Brozovic on for Mateo Kovacic.
84 min: One suspects the Czech Republic will be delighted with a draw here, while the Croats won’t be too disappointed either. Scotland will be delighted if this game ends all square and an unlikely win for them against England later would really put the cat among the pigeons.
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81 min: Nothing is happening ... at great length. Unless you count a Gvardiol pull-back from the byline that is comfortably smothered by Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.
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77 min: Between the two matches played so far today we’ve probably had 18 minutes of entertaining football. The eight minutes either side of the hour mark in Sweden’s win over Slovakia and the 10 just after half-time in this one. Otherwise, it’s been a largely pedestrian snoozefest. Here’s hoping England and Scotland serve up a comparative thirller at Wembley later.
74 min: Czech double-substitution: Petr Sevcik and Michael Krmencik on for Jakub Jankto and the goalscorer Patrick Schick.
72 min: In the Czech penalty area, Niko Vlasic is teed up by a downward header but swivels and sends the ball wide of the far post. The goal was gaping.
71 min: Good defending from the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Celustka, who does well to cut out a cross from Josko Gvardiol.
69 min: Domagoj Vida hacks the ball up the pitch from inside his own penalty area, hoping it will stick to Bruno Petkovic. It does exactly that and Croatia get players up the field in support.
65 min: Alex Kral tries to square the ball across the Croatia penalty area but dilly-dallies over his delivery and allows Luka Modric to slide in and dispossess him.
62 min: Croatia substitute: Nikola Vlasic on for Andres Kramaric. Czech Republic double-sub: Adam Hlozek and Alex Kral on for Lukas Masopust and Tomas Holes.
60 min: Vrsalkjo is penalised for a late challenge and the Czech Republic have a free-kick ion the area between the left side of the Croatian penalty area and the touchline. The free-kick is aimed towards Soucek, but Petkovic rises to put it out for a corner. Shick heads the ensuing inswinger high over the bar.
59 min: Croatia have been conspicuously more lively in this second half than they were at any point in the first. The introduction of Petkovic and Ivanusec has made a huge difference.
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58 min: Croatia attack and Kramaric has a shot from just inside the Czech penalty area blocked.
56 min: For the Czechs, Jankto escapes down the inside left again but his cross is cleared. The ball comes back his way and he stands it up at the far post. Schick’s downward header is cleared and a subsequent shot on the follow-up is blocked.
52 min: Tomas Soucek tries his luck from distance, sending a daisy-cutter fizzing narrowly wide of the left upright. In the Croatia goal, methinks Dominik Livakovic had it covered with a low dive to his left.
51 min: The Czech Republic’s Lukas Masopust is booked for a late challenge on Croatia left-back Josko Gvardiol.
49 min: Those half-time substitutes from Croatia: Bruno Petkovic and Luka Ivanusec on for striker Ante Rebic and midfielder Josip Brekalo.
48 min: That was a lovely solo goal from Perisic, who picks up a pass from Kramaric on the left touchline, bamboozles Coufal, cuts inside and unleashes a shot from the corner of the penalty area. The ball fizzes past Tomas Vaclik, who perhaps should have done better.
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GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Czech Republic (Perisic 47)
Croatia equalise through Ivan Perisic!
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Second half: Croatia 0-1 Czech Republic
46 min: Croatia kick off, having made two changes in personnel. More of which anon ...
Some good news from Copenhagen ...
Christian Eriksen has left the hospital and gone home to recuperate following a successful operation. “I am doing well under the circumstances,” he said in a statement, after visiting his teamamtes at their training camp.
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Half-time: Croatia 0-1 Czech Republic
Peep! A fairly dire 45 minutes of football ends with the Czech Republic leading by the only goal of the game, a controversial penalty scored by Patrick Schick following a VAR consultation and peek at the pitchside monitor from our Spanish referee.
45+3 min: Mateo Kovacic fouls Schick on the edge of his own penalty area. Free-kick for the Czech Republic a little to the left of goal. Schick blasts the ball over the bar.
45 min: Dion Dublin is on co-comms for the BBC and is adamant that Dejan Lovren was very hard done by in conceding a penalty for playing fast and loose with his elbow, whether he meant to or not.
As much a gentleman as he is and as good a player as he was, I’m not sure Dion is ideally placed to pass definitive judgement on this one. There are professional fiddle players out there who haven’t swung their elbows as often and with as much gusto as both him and Dejan Lovren.
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Mad VAR decisions in the Czech / Croatia game complicated even further by the stupid third-place-probably-goes-through rule in a group where no one has a clue what result they even want given the horrors that await in the next round.
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) June 18, 2021
41 min: Croatia go close to restoring parity from the kick-off, Rebic being put in behind, taking a touch and then slicing the ball wide with a very poor left-footed effort.
38 min: That looked a harsh decision against Croatia. Schick and Lovren were contesting a high ball in the Croatian penalty area. Lovren had eyes only for the ball but caught Schick in the face with his elbow. It was a complete accident but upon being referred to his pitchside monitor by his Video Assistant Referee, the referee decided to award a penalty.
GOAL! Croatia 0-1 Czech Republic (Schick 37pen)
Schick socres! He banged one in from 49 yards against Scotland and does so into the eact same goal from just 12 tonight.
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PENALTY TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC!
WOW! After checking his pitchside monitor, Spanish referee Carlos Del Cerra Grande awards the Czech Republic a penalty. That looks a ludicrous decision.
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33 min: There’s a break in play as Patrik Schick receives treatment for a bloody nose after shipping what looked like an accidental arm to the face from Dejan Lovren.
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30 min: Patrik Schick loses the ball on the edge of the Croatia penalty area. A game that started promisingly has gone quickly downhill and could really do with a spark of quality to re-ignite proceedings. One suspects the lack of jeopardy that comes with various third placed teams in each group going through is going to lead to no end of tedious matches in this second round of group games. With a win under their belts already, the Czech Republic have no incentive to attack. With a defeat to their name, Croatia are happy to bide their time.
28 min: Having started on the back foot, Croatia are now in the ascendency but have yet to create a chance of note beyond the occasional shot from distance.
25 min: Croatia attack again, with Vrsaljko picking up a Hollywood pass from deep on the right touchline. His cross is decent but Rebic can’t gdet near it. Vaclik collects with a minimum of fuss.
23 min: A well-worked corner from Croatia ends with Perisic finding a pocket of space outside the Czech penalty area. He shoots straight at Vaclik, who catches the ball comfortably.
20 min: Croatia striker Rebic and Czech Republic goalkeeper Vaclik sprint towards each other to contest a 50-50 ball after the latter was sold short by a bad back-pass. The goalkeeper wins the race to the ball but his clearance is blocked by the Croatia striker. The ball loops up in the air and sails wide.
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18 min: The Czechs waste a wonderful scoring opportunity, with Jankto drilling another cross from the left across the face of the six-yard box. There’s nobody on hand to convert it and the ball runs to Coufal, who picks out Schcik on the edge of the six-yard box. The striker loses his footing and scuffs a weak shot wide.
16 min: For Croatia, Brekalo and Rebic combine through the centre but the give and go exchange is intercepted. The idea was commendable but the execution of it was anything but.
15 min: Lots of huff and puff and honest endeavour from both sides, but nothing in the way of decent goalscoring opportunities so far.
12 min: Coufal and Masopust combine down the right for the Czech Republic and the full-back from West Ham sends a cross in. Dejan Lovren heads unconvincingly towards Jankto, who blasts the ball high and wide on the volley.
11 min: Just over 10 minutes into this contest and it has already been far more entertaining than the entire match that preceded it. Sweden and Slovakia take a bow.
10 min: Dejan Lovren sizes up the set-piece, waits for the referee’s whistle and then sends the ball high over defensive wall and cross-bar.
9 min: Croatia win a free-kick directly in front of the Czech goal about 35 yards out, for a Tomas Kalas foul as he attacked a high ball.
8 min: The Czechs attack down the left flank again, but Vladimir Coufal intercepts a pass down the touchline.
6 min: Ivan Perisic does well to get a cross in from the right. Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik flaps it the ball but Croatia striker Ante Rebic is unable to get his head to it and steer it goalwards.
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4 min: The Czech Republic are completely dominating these early stages. They win a corner, from which Tomas Soucek sends a header looping on to the roof of the goal.
2 min: Great early pressure from the Czechs, Jankto smashing in a cross from the left which was cleared by Vida’s head. The ball drops for Coufal inside the penalty area, but his shot is blocked.
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1 min: Dejan Lovren hacks the ball out of play deep inside his own half, the Czechs blocking his passing avenues back to his goalkeeper and midfielders.
Croatia v Czech Republic is go ...
1 min: The Czechs kick off, their players a vision in white. Their Croatian counterparts wear black shirts, shorts and socks.
Not long now: The teams are out on the Hampden Park sward and line up for the national anthems. Kick-off is just a few minutes away.
Those teams: Croatia make two changes, with Duje Caleta-Car and Marcelo Brozovic making way for central defender Dejan Lovren and winger Josip Brekalo. The Czech Republic make just one change, in midfield. Defensive midfielder Tomas Holes replaces Alex Kral in a like for like swap.
Match report: Sweden 1-0 Slovakia
Group E: “An intriguing tactical battle, a slow-burning minor classic, an enthralling game of subtly shifting patterns … ah, who are we kidding? This was dreadful, the worst game of the tournament so far by some margin,” writes Jonathan Wilson. Read on ...
Croatia v Czech Republic line-ups
Croatia (4-2-3-1): Livakovic; Vrsaljko, Vida, Lovren, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Brekalo, Kramaric, Perisic; Rebic.
Czech Republic (4-2-3-1): Vaclik; Coufal, Kalas, Celustka, Boril; Holes, Soucek; Masopust, Darida, Jankto; Schick
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Full time: Sweden 1-0 Slovakia
Group E: In Saint Petersburg, Sweden have just beaten Slovakia in one of the worst games of football I have ever seen. It briefly sparked into life for seven minutes halfway through the second half, with Emil Forsberg’s penalty guaranteeing his side’s passage to the second round, following a game which so dreadful the BBC punditry panel more or less abandoned their half-time analysis in favour of a sing-song.
Zlatko Dalic speaks ...
“We have not been good lately in our attacking phase and that’s something we need to improve,” said Croatia’s manager. “We need to do better in that. We need to be more vertical, more offensive and create more chances in attack.
“We are playing against a team that defeated Scotland and started with a win. They are in a more comfortable situation than us, but we are aware that we need a win to bring back our confidence – and we ready to do it.”
Jaroslav Silhavy speaks ...
“Luka Modrič is an excellent player – for me, one of the best players in the world,” said the Czech Republic manager. “He can use up the slightest space to create big chances. We have to pay a lot of attention to him and close him down very tightly.”
On rumours he make a change to his line-up. “It is true that we are discussing a change in the starting line-up, but we will first tell it to the team,” he said. “As regards our positive mood, I can assure you we are firmly on the ground and we know that we are going to play against very strong opponents.”
Some pre-match listening
Football Weekly, the Guardian’s insightful, amusing, chart-topping, multiple award-winning (at least until Peter Crouch started flexing his pod-muscle) podcast has gone daily for the duration of Euro 2020. You can listen to it here and download it for free in all the usual pod places.
This evening’s match officials
- Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)
- Assistant referees: Juan Yuste and Roberto Fernandez (Spain)
- Fourth official: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
- Video Assistant Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera (Spain)
Early team news
Luka Modric was spotted training on his own in the day or two following his side’s defeat at Wembley but is expected to be fit for today’s game, where he could be partnered by Nikola Vlasic, who started Sunday’s game on the bench. Centre-back Dejan Lovren missed out against England but is believed to be available for selection although this game has come too soon for Rangers left-back Borna Barisic, who remains sidelined with a back injury and has not travelled to Scotland. The Czech Republic, by contrast, have a fully fit squad to choose from.
Group D: Croatia v Czech Republic
While consumers of British media outlets could understandably be forgiven for thinking that England’s match against Scotland is today’s only Group D show in town, Croatia and the Czech Republic must first duke it out at Hampden Park before we can all get on with the fun.
An ageing Croatia side massively underwhelmed in defeat in their opener against England and are in desperate need of at least a point, while the Czech Republic will be hoping to build on their win over Scotland in Glasgow.
Kick-off in Scotland is at 5pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
