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Today at 21:45 Lithuanian time, the D group match between Germany and the Czech Republic will be played at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
The Czechs are leading the group with 6 points and no one can stop them from reaching the quarter-finals of the European Championship. Meanwhile, the Germans, who have 2 points, need a victory today.
The Czech Republic
The Czech team, after a tense battle in the previous match where they defeated the Dutch 3-2, has already secured a ticket to the quarter-finals. Therefore, their coach Karel Bruckner will likely allow the main players to rest in today's match and field a completely different Czech national team than in previous matches.
However, this Czech team will not be an easy opponent for the German footballers, as we will see players such as UEFA Champions League finalist with "Monaco" Jaroslav Plašil, "Liverpool" representative Vladimir Šmicer, who scored in the match against the Dutch, and Marek Heinz, who stood out in the match against the Latvians.
Germany
In this match, the Germans will only seek victory, as only it guarantees a place in the quarter-finals, unless the Latvians and Dutch draw, then a draw would be enough for the German players. Despite the fact that the Czechs will play with an incomplete lineup, Germany's national team coach Rudi Voller is trying to motivate his team to give their all in the fight.
After the unsuccessful match against the Latvians, Voller returns to the tactical formation of 4-5-1 and will play with striker Kevin Kuranyi as the sole forward. The only change in the German team is Bastian Schweinsteiger's appearance in the starting lineup. Here, he should replace the underperforming Bernd Schneider.
Possible lineups:
Germany (4-5-1): Kahn; Friedrich, Wörns, Nowotny, Lahm; Schweinsteiger, Baumann, Hamann, Frings; Ballack; Kuranyi.
Czech Republic (4-4-2): Blazek; Jiranek, Bolf, Ujfaluši, Jankulovski; Plašil, Tyce, Vachoušek, Šmicer; Lokvenc, Heinz.
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway)
