The calculations are over, the Netherlands will face us in the eighth round. How does the public see the match?

The Czech Republic is among the best 16 teams of the Euro! Jaroslav Šilhavy’s team will face the strong Dutch in the semi-finals. The match will be played in Budapest in the luxurious Puskás Arena, which is playing into the hands of Czech fans.

The Netherlands is a very strong opponent, but historically we have mostly positive memories of our matches. The driving distance to Budapest could be an advantage for our team, where the fans could create an interesting backdrop. Puskás Arena is one of the few stadiums that can fill to its maximum capacity of 67,215 spectators.

If we were able to advance to the quarter-finals over the Netherlands, the winner of the Wales/Denmark match would be in our way. We would play the quarter-finals in the distant Asian city of Baku!

Public reaction to the Netherlands

“The Netherlands? For me, one of the worst options,” wrote one commentator on Twitter.

“As far as I can read, there is excitement (about the draw). I’ve seen them 3 times and I’m afraid we won’t meet the ball. We can only hope they throw away chances and the referee whistles us some sort of penalty. From the game, after the action, we haven’t scored a goal yet and I suspect it won’t happen,” another Czech fan predicts a black scenario.

“The Slovaks and Swedes used to be playable, but the Dutch have an interesting mix of experienced and young players who play important roles in their teams. I don’t think we have a chance with Šilhavy on the bench, but some mess can happen,” commented another Twitter user.

“Excellent for me! They have historically respected us. We are playing in Budapest. Satisfied,” is one of the few positive responses.

Czech skepticism is back and few people believe in our players. The Netherlands certainly have a higher quality of players overall, but our team has a big heart. The key will be to manage the fight in the middle of the field, where the opponent has great quality and creativity. We can strike from a standard or after a centre into the penalty area.

Sources: Jakub Podaný, Luděk Mádl