Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal will begin their 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024) journey with a mouth-watering Group F encounter against Czechia. Continue reading to get all the key information about the Matchday 1 clash.
EURO 2024: Portugal vs Czechia – Date, Time & Where To Watch In US
Portugal and Czechia will lock horns in their Group F opener at the Leipzig Stadium on Tuesday night (June 18). The game will kick off at 9:00 PM CET / 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT.
Fox Network will telecast the game in the United States. Alternatively, one can stream the game on Fubo, Vix (in Spanish), Sling, the FOX Sports app, or the website.
Portugal vs Czechia – Preview
Form
Roberto Martinez’s Portugal are one of the favorites for EURO 2024. They have the most ruthless goalscorer in world soccer in Ronaldo, a world-class creative unit comprising Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, and a rock-solid defense led by the evergreen Pepe. If things fall into place, they could march on to their second European Championship title on July 14.
Unfortunately for Os Navegadores, things have not always gone according to plan. They have had some compatibility issues, which have caused them to slip up against quality opponents. In their first preparatory match for EURO 2024, Portugal fell to a 2-1 defeat to Croatia. They did bounce back swiftly with a 3-0 triumph over Ireland, but it did not win all their critics over. In their last five games, Portugal won three and lost two, with their other defeat coming against Slovenia (2-0) in March.
Czechia, on the other hand, do not have as many star players at their disposal, but they do not hesitate to take the fight to their opponents. They move the ball around swiftly, attack in numbers, and defend like their lives depend on it.
Czechia are coming into Tuesday’s game in sensational form. They have won all their last five fixtures, scoring 16 goals and conceding just four.
Head-To-Head
According to the data from GOAL, Portugal and Czechia have met five times over the years, with all of them coming in official UEFA competitions. Portugal have the upper hand in head-to-head stats, winning four times and losing just once.
Portugal have beaten Czechia in their last two meetings in EUROs, claiming a 1-0 victory in 2012 and a 3-1 win in 2008. Czechia’s only victory over Portugal came in EURO 1996, with the Lokomotiva claiming a 1-0 win.
Portugal vs Czechia – Prediction
After seeing his former team, Belgium, endure the first major upset of EURO 2024, Martinez will likely be extra cautious of underdogs Czechia on Tuesday. He could instruct Portugal to come flying out of the gates and try to bag a nerve-settling early lead. Czechia will not make it easy for Ronaldo and Co., but we do not think the heavyweights will drop points in their Group F opener. We are backing Portugal to claim a 3-1 win over Czechia, with Ronaldo scoring the first goal of the night.
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