The shirt features a black colouration with a charcoal cross in the centre to reflect the club’s crest. The shorts and socks are black with a charcoal number on the sides. Nike’s exclusive Dri-Fit technology is incorporated into the shirt which significantly reudces water and the punch holes on the under-arm help to regulate player temperatures.

In line with Nike’s commitment to lower the impact of enevironmental issues the shorts are made of 100% recycled polyester and the shirt is 96%. Each kit is made using roughly 13 recycled bottles. Nike have also released shirts for Brazil, France and England in 2013.

Euro 2012 has come to an end for Portugal so let’s take time to reflect on what an eventful tournament it has been for the Selecção.

Overall evaluation
Before the tournament everyone was certain that Portugal wouldn’t even make it out of their group so making it all the way to the semi-finals is no mean feat. The Selecção made a slow start to the tournament but once they got going they were easily one of the most dangerous sides in the competition. Obviously fans will be disappointed thatPortugalfailed to take their opportunities in their final game against Spain but overall the Selecção can be proud of their performance at Euro 2012.

Highlight of the tournament
Silvestre Varela’s late strike against Denmark. The substitute had only been in the pitch for a minute when he smashed in a right-footed shot after missing with his left and doing a little pirouette to get into position. The goal kick-started the Portuguese revival which without would have seen them out of the tournament.

Disaster of the tournament
The opening match against Germany. It wasn’t until an 80^th minute goal from Mario Gomez thatPortugal realised that they were at a major tournament and probably should start playing football. Up until then they just weren’t in the game and seemed destined to exit the tournament in a dire state.

Star of the tournament: Pepe
Defending goals and even scoring goals, what else do you need from a centre-back? Pepe was one of Portugal’s biggest goal threats from set pieces and even racing forward on the counter. The Real Madrid star put in a solid performance in every goal and despite dropping off the radar in later games he still had a memorable tournament.

Flop of the tournament: Postiga
OK Postiga was injured for the final match and potentially could have been the hero that game however the games he did play in he really didn’t shine. Being the teams main striker he should have been the front man but so many times he wasted clear-cut chances or didn’t muster up any shots at all. Even his team seemed frustrated with him refusing to pass to him on opportunities.

Strengths
Perhaps rather surprisingly Portugal’s backline were their strongest area in the tournament, despite a shaky start. At times, especially in the group games, the unit looked likely to let in droves of goals but as the tournament went on, and the confidence grew, the line began to work together and their heroic defending versusSpainalmost saw them pull off a remarkable result. Also very importantly the defence, which are known for their ill temper at times, held their cool and despite picking up a few yellow cards no player was suspended or even looked in danger of getting into trouble throughout the tournament.

Weaknesses
The Selecção’s lack of a natural striker was obviously their downfall, failing to create a single shot on target in their semi-final match. The team found theirselves reliant on Ronaldo and the opposition quickly picked this up. Postiga was the team’s most experienced front man however going into the tournament there were questions over his goal-scoring credentials, scoring only nine goals in 33 appearances at club level this season, although that did make him the clubs top scorer. TheZaragozaman didn’t exactly shine at the tournament, scoring just one goal and spurning countless other opportunities. It’s a shame that the first man let them down as the rest of attack and midfield really came to life with both Ronaldo and Nani living up to their reputation. However at the next major tournament, World Cup 2014,Portugal’s young strikers should have matured so they shouldn’t have this problem for much longer.

Opportunities
Undoubtedly it will bePortugal’s young stars who offer the biggest opportunity for success in the future. Nelson Oliveira and Silvestre Varela look set to be the next Ronaldo and Nani with Rui Patricio already standing strong between the sticks. All three boosted their reputation in the tournament and are undoubtedly stars in the making.   
The team also proved that they can adapt their style to match their opposition, something they hadn’t been known to do before. If Paulo Bento stays boss, and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t, thenPortugalshould pull of something big in the future.

Threats
Portugal’s big names are at their peak. The current batch of players may have missed their only opportunity to win a major trophy. The squad does have some young fringe players but the main bulk of the starting 11 won’t be around for much longer.

Overall player ratings (average score taken from ratings for individual matches)

Finally lets end with a giggle: Ronaldo is still waiting to take his penalty

The game was fast, the Portuguese were faster but despite being to be able to do something no other team had managed – playing Spain at their own game – the Selecção will be left to rue the way they threw away what was an opportunity handed to them on a plate by the Spanish.

Portugal did far more than contain their neighbours, who were decidedly off the boil until late on, but in football’s cruellest lottery, the Selecção came up short.

Bizarrely the game could be remembered as the match were a player was made to make his penalty walk-up twice, ultimately costing Portugal a place in the final.

Spain are now on track to win their third consecutive European Championship trophy.

Portugal were forced to make their first change of the tournament before the game. Helder Postiga, who picked up a thigh injury during the win over Czech Republic, was replaced by Hugo Almedia. Spain also made one change with Alvaro Negredo coming into the side for Cesc Fabregas. Negredo had played just one minute in the tournament so far so his selection wouldn’t have gone down well with Fernando Torres.

Spain started the game but it was Portugal who dominated early possession with their first shot of the match coming after just two minutes from Miguel Veloso which was followed by a flurry of corners although none of these resulted to anything dangerous.

Portugal’s plan seemed to be to knock Spain out of their normal rhythm which was reasonably effective although the Spanish were still very dangerous on the break.  The first real chance of the game came from the Spanish as they raced down the left and whipped in a zippy pass which Alvaro Arbeloa was on the end of but his shot faded just over the bar. Andres Iniesta then had a pop from further out but his effort was even higher than the first attempt.

Ronaldo had his first go on the ball on 15 minutes as he was unleashed down the left by Veloso. Automatically you could sense the expectation and fear form either side of the crowd as he set off and played a cross in to Nani who failed to make contact.

Spain were frustrated. Portugal were on top and the Spanish didn’t like it. Every time Spain were in possession they were quickly closed down as the Portuguese grew in confidence and spirit. That said the Spanish had the talent to open up the Portuguese backline as Andres Iniesta was given a sight of goal from the edge of the area but his curling effort was just a yard over the bar. At the other end Ronaldo came agonisingly close to goal as his shot from the edge of the area was low but just the side of the post. This match was turning into a real battle between two evenly matched teams.

Spain’s fluency had completely deserted them, partly due to their own failings but mainly because Portugal were disrupting them at every opportunity.

HALF-TIME: PORTUGAL 0-0 SPAIN

The second half began exactly like the first with Portugal playing high up the field, troubling Spain and dominating all the attacking chances. Spain weren’t troubling Portugal’s defence but they were remaining solid at the back. Spain’s coach, Vicente del Bosque, responded by making an early substitute bringing on Cesc Fabregas for Alvaro Negredo. I wonder if del Bosque was regretting changing his frontman before the game. Five minutes later Spain made another change as Jesus Navas came on for David Silva.

In between the two changes Portugal had two good openings for Almeida. The first came as Almedia struck from 25 yards instead of passing to Ronaldo who was in a much better attacking position. The second came as Ronaldo set him off down the left and shot wide again instead of passing back to the winger who was screaming for the ball. Perhaps Almeida was blinded by the bright lights or just going out for his own glory.

As the minutes ticked by it was clear that both teams were becoming wary that conceding a goal at this stage would have dire consequences. They were both snatching at chances aware of how important they could be. One hour into the game Spain finally had their first shot on goal! Xavi drove in a shot as Rui Patricio who gratefully clutched the ball to his chest. Minutes later Almeida was working at his game play to make a name for himself again as he shot from distance instead of passing to Ronaldo who screamed at him in fury.

On 72 minutes Ronaldo almost got his chance when Portugal won a free-kick 30 yards from goal but his strike was a yard over the bar. Paulo Bento then decided he had had enough of Almeida as he replaced him with Nelson Oliveira. Ronaldo then had another chance from a free-kick which again flew just over. This was followed by Spain making their final substitution as Pedro was brought on for Xavi meaning neither Fernando Torres nor Fernando Llorente would be making an appearance for Spain.

The last minute of the half was the most dramatic as Spain won a free-kick which Alonso took but Portugal headed away and suddenly broke towards goal. It was four Portuguese forwards versus two Spanish defenders as Meireles found Ronaldo…but he blasted over! It seems if Meireles would have passed to Oliveira instead, who was in more space, Portugal would have had a better shot on goal.

END OF 90 MINUTES: PORTUGAL 0-0 SPAIN

Spain finally came to live at the start of extra-time and were straight on the attack as Jesus Navas drove a low cross to the near post from the right. Spain were now dominating possession and racing forward at every opportunity but the Portuguese defence were standing strong with the Spanish crosses rarely beating the first man.

Portugal’s heart would have been in their mouth 13 minutes into extra-time when Andres Iniesta skipped into the box to collect a flicked pass and looked certain to poke his side ahead until Patricio superply got down to push the shot away Spain then won a free-kick 25 yards from goal which Sergio Ramos just over the ball. That free-kick was closer than any of Ronaldo’s attempts and Patricio’s worry was clear as he desperately dived to cover his goal. Spain had somehow found some extra energy in the tank.

For Portugal tired legs and minds were beginning to kick in as the pace of the game trickled to a slow canter and the quality of passes dipped. Was the far of defeat now the overriding factor of the game?

EXTRA-TIME: HALF-TIME: PORTUGAL 0-0 SPAIN

Portugal began the second half by making a second substitute, Custodio coming on for Veloso. The chance inspired Portugal as Fabio Coentrao scampered down the left and crossed to Ronaldo although the pass didn’t quite find its man. Navas then found himself with space in the box to drive in an angled shot low at goal which Patricio blocked, spilled and blocked again. Portugal responded by making their final substitute bringing on Silvestre Varela for Raul Meireles.

Suddenly in the 115^th minute Fabregas played through Pedro who was running at speed away from defenders and in on goal. Pedro looked cert on to score until his run ran out of steam and Coentrao cut the ball away. It looked like Portugal were now playing for penalties…which they got.

PENALTIES!!

S: Xavi Alonso – saved!
P: Joao Moutinho – saved!
S: Andres Iniesta – scores
P: Pepe – scores
S: Gerard Pique – scores
P: Nani – scores
S: Sergio Ramos – scores
P: Bruno Alves – misses
S: Cesc Fabregas – scores

Portugal: Rui Patricio, Joao Pereira, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao, Meireles (Varela 110’), Veloso (Custodio 106’), Joao Moutinho, Nani, Almeida (Oliveira 80’), Ronaldo.

Spain: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Xavi (Pedro 86’), Busquets, Alonso, Silva (Navas 59’), Negredo (Fabregas 54’), Iniesta

Star man: Jaoa Moutinho

Conclusion
Paulo Bento’s side had worked so, so hard. They didn’t give the usually imperious Spanish midfield a second to think, let alone control the ball and seek a pass. Not only were they working hard on the defensive side they also flirted with the Spanish goal on occasion. They had found a way to combat the Spanish passing game without sacrificing their own threat, rarely had this been done in recent years. That was until extra-time came then suddenly the team that looked certain to win fell to pieces. Luckily Spain left it to the extra half hour to begin to play as if they had been as attacking in normal period of time undoubtedly they would have scored. Sadly all that effort counted for nothing as the match went to penalties and Portugal were dumped out of the cup – without Ronaldo having the chance to take his penalty. Spain didn’t deserve to win the game but they held their nerves in the shootout. Bizarrely Portugal could be left to blame their defeat on Bruno Alves forgetting which order the penalties were to be taken in; walking up a kick to early only to be sent back by Nani then looking very shaky when it finally was his turn to take a kick, which he missed.

Portugal’s journey at Euro 2012 is over.

Players Ratings:

Rui Patrício – 8
The Sporting goalkeeper was in danger of going through the whole tournament without the chance of enhancing his burgeoning reputation. Blameless with all the goals conceded up to the semi-final, Patrício had, in truth, had little work to do in Portugal’s previous four matches. Tonight was his chance to shine and he took it. Wonderful reflex save kept out Iniesta’s close-range effort in extra time, and another sharp stop soon afterwards denied Navas. Seemed he may be the hero of the night after brilliantly keeping out Xabi Alonso’s penalty, but had no chance

Joao Pereira – 8
Considered by many the weak link of Portugal’s team pre-tournament, Pereira put in another almost perfect display. Defended tenaciously (exemplified by two magnificent interceptions to rob the ball from Iniesta 27’ and Fabregas 94’) and lent good support to the attack, although his crossing could have been better. Valencia must be delighted they paid Sporting around €3million for his services before the tournament began. Surely his price tag would be higher now.

Pepe – 9
Another Euro 2012 game, another masterful exhibition of defending from the Real Madrid centre-back. Always in the right place at the right time, excellently timed interventions, controlled aggression throughout. And a perfect penalty to boot.

Bruno Alves – 7
Gave everything he had for 120 minutes. Determined to block Spain’s progress on his side of the defence, and as ever commanding in the air with remarkable powers of elevation. However, as in previous games this tournament, his distribution of the ball was not the best and he tended to overuse the long ball. Whether having to turn back and take his penalty after Nani instead of before him unsettled Alves or not we will never know.

Fabio Coentrao – 9
The Real Madrid player was evidently determined to show his full range of defending and attacking capacities, no doubt stung by criticism he had to endure at times during his debut season in Spain. Another lion-hearted performance from the left-back, getting the better of his club team-mate Arbeloa most of the time in an intense battle. An excellent all-round display, as has been the case in all matches this tournament.

Miguel Veloso – 8
Like Pereira and Moutinho, Veloso has greatly enhanced his reputation with a wonderful tournament. Another solid display tonight, constantly hustling and harrying Spain’s legion of difficult-to-shackle midfielders. As well as breaking up play well, his composure on the ball and razor sharp distribution helped Portugal to keep possession and make sure they were not overrun in the middle of the pitch. Was by no means an automatic starter for Portugal at the start of this tournament, but now a shoe-in for the first-choice XI.

Raul Meireles – 8
Yet another tireless performance from the Chelsea midfielder, who had arguably his best game of Euro 2012. Made a number of vital interceptions and generally made good use of the ball when he had the chance.

Jaoa Moutinho – 9
Another monster of a performance from the FC Porto midfielder, who seemed to be everywhere at once. An acrobatic back-heel on 23 minutes and a quickly executed pass on 30’ set up two shooting opportunities for Ronaldo. Thinks and executes his game beautifully – he makes football seem simple. It was no coincidence that Spain started to dominate when his stamina finally broke in extra time. Did not deserve to miss a penalty.

Ronaldo – 8
Double or triple marked most of the time, Ronaldo still managed to cause panic in the Spanish defence on the few occasions they ceded him a slither of space. Kick-started Portugal after the team had made another slow start with a superb run and cross in the 12th minute that just evaded Nani’s head. Had the chance to find his range with three free-kicks and a late break, but tonight it wasn’t to be. Gave precious help to the defence at times, as shown by excellent headed clearance in the Portuguese box early in extra time.

Almeida – 7
Ran himself into the ground. The game largely passed him by in the first half, but after the break he got more involved. Tried his luck in the 57th, 58th and 67th minutes with powerful shots, but failed to hit the target. Did an commendable job helping out in defence, especially at set pieces with a number of excellent headed clearances.

Nani – 8
Worked hard to try and get into the game, and looked dangerous on the few occasions he got the ball in attacking positions. A wonderful turn and run on 30 minutes looked like it may open up the Spanish defence, only for the referee to mystifyingly call play back for a non-existent foul. Unfortunately for Portugal, his influence waned as the match went on. Showed the utmost confidence in his abilities by dispatching his penalty with aplomb after stepping ahead of Bruno Alves.

Related Posts:

• Portugal Euro 2012: Portugal v Spain preview
• Portugal Euro 2012: Portugal v Spain – a brief history
• Portugal Euro 2012: A closer look at Spain

It’s hard to call the game as both sides are tactically matched. The Spanish are renowned for their attacking play but each of Portugal’s defenders are good trackers and commit themsleves to the cause. Equally Portugal are brilliant going forward. It could be a case of the team who gets the first goal controls the game but one thing is certain, this match is going to be a fiercely fought battle.

Market value of the two teams
Total of Portugal team: €337.7m
Total of Spain team: €658m

With the overall Spanish squad twice the value of the Portuguese team it isn’t surprising that Spain out value Portugal in every department. Portugal’s three goalkeepers are valued just €0.2 million more than Spain’s third choice goalkeeper on his own (Reina, €19m). Its squad depth that lets Portugal down in the defensive department, their least valued defender (Lopes, €1.7m) is valued nearly five times less than his Spanish counterpart (Juanfran, €8m). Further up the list Portugal’s top defenders are each valued €10m less than their Spanish equivalent. In the midfield department Spain massively out way Portugal with their group of players being more than three times the value of the Selecção (€311m compared to €97m). Their ridiculously valuable midfield is €20m short of being worth as much as the entire Portugal team. Portugal’s top midfielder (Nani, €36m) is almost half the value of Spain’s top man (Iniesta, €65m). Even in the striker department Portugal are out weighed, despite having the worlds most valuable played in their squad. Despite Portugal having one extra striker than Spain they are still €1.2m short of the Spanish frontline.

Before the tournament, it was clear how Paulo Bento would set his team out. He’s maintained the same starting XI throughout, but will now be forced into a change.
Helder Postiga was removed with a hamstring injury during their 1-0 win over Czech Republic, so Hugo Almeida is a likely start in the central striking role. Nelson Oliveira, despite promise and potential, will not be trusted for a full 90 minutes in such a high-profile game.
There are three incredibly important roles in Portugal’s formation—fullback, anchor midfield and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fabio Coentrao and Joao Pereira are two flying fullbacks, allowed to maraud up and down the line and help Portugal’s controlling 4-3-3 formation function.
Ronaldo’s role has changed throughout this tournament, ranging from unused left winger to the one person in this team able to break down a defence.
Lastly, Miguel Veloso is key. Consistency must be found for him, as he is required to fulfil two incredibly important duties.
He provides short, sharp passes out of defence to initiate attacks as a matter of course. He may be asked to provide longer, direct ones to Almeida or Ronaldo to skip between the lines and create quick counterattacks.
He also may have to track Spain’s key attacking threat and man-mark him into submission, just as he attempted against Mesut Ozil.

Spain’s footballing philosophy is clear to see right now, as they continue to assert themselves as a slightly toned-down version of Barcelona.
Such is the attempt to mimic La Blaugrana, we’ve seen Cesc Fabregas employed as a false-nine striker in two games out of four so far. It’s fair to say he’s no Lionel Messi in that position and lacks the threat of making genuine incisive runs.
The other option is Fernando Torres. Despite offering a dramatic, positive change to Fabregas against Italy, he still can’t find the back of the net against good opposition in this tournament.
The rest of the team is a settled constant. Jordi Alba has impressed, so much so he was the subject of a failed double right-back experiment by Laurent Blanc. In addition, the midfield three of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso remain unbeatable in the passing game.

Team News
Helder Postiga is Portugal’s only injury concern. Postiga is expected to be replaced by Besiktas forward Hugo Almeida. Spain have reported no fresh injury concerns. However, Fernando Torres and Pedro may be in line to start following claims the Spanish camp are “drained”.

Predicted Starting Lineups

Match facts
Head-to-head

• Spain have beaten Portugal only twice in 54 years (W2, D6, L4).
• This will be the 35th meeting of the sides. Portugal failed to win the first 15 encounters, eventually breaking their duck in 1948. Spain lead the overall head-to-head by 16 wins to six.
• All six of Portugal’s victories came on home soil.

Portugal

• Cristiano Ronaldo has six European Championship goals in total. Only Alan Shearer (seven) and Michel Platini (nine) have scored more in the history of the tournament.
• The Portuguese have lost four of their five previous semi-finals at major tournaments, and have never won at this stage overseas. Their only win was 2-1 victory against the Netherlands on home soil at Euro 2004.
• They have hit the woodwork six times at Euro 2012 – including four efforts from Ronaldo.

Spain

• Spain will set a new record of 11 European Championship finals matches unbeaten if they avoid defeat. Their last loss in the competition was the 1-0 reverse to Portugal at Euro 2004.
• The Spanish have kept eight consecutive clean sheets in knock-out games at major tournaments. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas is unbeaten in 780 minutes (13 hours) at this stage since Zinedine Zidane’s 90th-minute goal for France at the 2006 World Cup.
• According to Opta, Spain have completed 2,623 passes at Euro 2012, more than twice as many as Portugal (1,159).

Related Posts:

• Portugal Euro 2012: Portugal v Spain – a brief history
• Portugal Euro 2012: A closer look at Spain

International Friendly 1921: Spain 3-1 Portugal
Spain’s first ever international friendly game against Portugal was on December 18, 1921 at the Campo de O’Donnell in Madrid, with the Spaniards emerging victorious. Meana netted the opening goal of the match in the 20th minute and three minutes later Paulino Alcantara doubled the hosts’ lead. The former Barcelona striker scored his second in the 50th minute. Portugal’s Augusto pulled one back from the spot in the 75th minute but couldn’t stop the Spanish from winning.

World Cup 1934: Spain 10-2 Portugal (agg)
Spain and Portugal were clubbed together in Group 2 of the European zone for the 1934 World Cup qualifiers. The winners were to go through to the grand finale. The first leg was played at the Estadio Chamartin in Madridand to this day it remains Spain’s biggest win ever against the Portuguese. It finished 9-0, with striker Isidro Langara scoring no fewer than five goals, one of which was from the penalty spot. Luis Regueiro scored a brace while Eduardo Gonzalez and Marti Ventolra scored a goal each.

The second leg took place at the Estadio do Lumiar inLisbona week later and once againSpainemerged victorious. Vitor Silva netted for the hosts as early as the 10th minute but Langara turned on the style once more, hitting the target twice in quick succession. It finished 2-1 toSpain, who qualified for the World Cup finals that year.

World Cup 1950: Spain 7-3 Portugal (agg)
Spain and Portugal were clubbed together in Group 6 in the European zone in the 1950 World Cup qualifiers. In the first game, played at the Nuevo Chamartin in Madrid, La Roja hammered the Portuguese 5-1. A brace from Telmo Zarra and a goal a piece from Estanislao Basora, Jose Luis Panizo and Luis Molowny were enough for the Spaniards to secure an imperious victory.

The return fixture played at in Lisbon saw Portugal fail to defeat Spain. It ended 2-2 with Zarra once again scoring for the Spaniards. Spain qualified for the World Cup finals and eventually finished fourth in the competition. Apparently, Portugal were invited to participate in the World Cup finals too but they declined.

Euro 1984: Spain 1-1 Portugal
Having drawn their opening games, the Iberian neighbours knew they could scarcely afford to lose, but also that victory would virtually assure them of a semi-final berth. Neither such scenario played itself out, with both teams forced to settle for a share of the spoils.

Spainlooked the more likely victors in the early stages, Portuguese goalkeeper Bento called into action to keep out Santillana and Ricardo Gallego. With Rui Jordão up front on his own,Portugalnever looked like unlocking the Spanish defence.

Without a chance to their name, they then went in front seven minutes after the break, Alvaro Magalhães coming up from the back to feed António Sousa, who beat Luis Arconada with a superb chip.Spainthen breathed a sigh of relief when Chalana – after a brilliantly intelligent drop of the shoulder brought him a metre of space – hit the bar from more than 20 metres out.

That reprieve proved particularly welcome with 17 minutes remaining, Santillana firing in after Portugal had failed to clear a corner. Bento then saved from Lobo Carrasco to ensure a draw – whether it would be sufficient for either side remained to be seen.

Euro 2004: Portugal 1-0 Spain
Portugalwere the hosts of the European Championships in 2004 and were placed in Group A alongside Greece, Spainand Russia. In the final round of matches in the group stage, the Iberians confronted each other. Portugalneeded a win to avoid an early exit from the competition as they had lost to Greecebefore beating Russia. Spaintoo needed maximum points to assure qualification to the quarter-finals.

In a match that took a while to spark,Portugal striker Nuno Gomes scored the only goal just three minutes before the hour mark. Gomes, who had come on for Pedro Pauleta at the break, found himself with a half-chance from a nicely crafted flick from Luis Figo, and the Benfica forward put the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a 20-yard shot that seared into Spain’s net past goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Both sides had chances after that, with Raul heading over the crossbar from a misread cross and Fernando Torres then failing to hit the target with only goalkeeper Ricardo to beat after Xabi Alonso sent him through. At the other end Figo came close with a free-kick that his then club-mate Casillas parried for a corner, from which the Spain goalkeeper had to save a Costinha header.

The match eventually finished 1-0 to Portugal, giving the hosts their first win against Spain since 1981. The victory sent Portugal through to the knockout stages before their eventual appearance in the final, while Spain went home.

World Cup 2010: Spain 1-0 Portugal
It was sweet revenge for Spain as they more than made amends for their disastrous Euro 2004 campaign just a little over six years ago when it was ended by a 1-0 defeat to Portugal in the final group game. In Cape Town Stadium in the summer of 2010, it was Spainwho ended Portugal’s World Cup dreams with a similar scoreline.

The game itself was a disappointment. Billed as an entertaining, enthralling World Cup last-16 clash between the two flamboyant, stylish Iberian rivals, Portugal decided to shut up shop from the opening whistle and once again, la Furia Roja had to fight through line upon line of defenders. And Carlos Queiroz’s side looked to have done enough to frustrate their neighbours as the tactical chess battle was at an impasse for over an hour.

But up popped eventual joint-top scorer David Villa with the all-important winning goal on 63 minutes, with a little help from a rebound and a genius back-heel flick from Xavi. Spain celebrated their progression to the quarter-finals before going on to lift the trophy for the first time in their history, while a grumpy Cristiano Ronaldo spat towards the camera and criticised the tactics of his coach Queiroz, who himself was banned for interrupting a doping test, and then dismissed by the Seleccao FA after the tournament.

International Friendly 2010: Portugal 4-0 Spain
Portugal gained a measure of revenge for their World Cup exit at the hands of Spain by inflicting a humiliating 4-0 defeat on their Iberian neighbours inLisbon last night. Goals from Jorge Carlos Martins, theSpain defender Sergio Ramos, who put into his own net, Hélder Postiga and Hugo Almeida condemned the world champions to their biggest defeat since 1963, when they lost 6-2 toScotland.

Related Posts:

• Portugal Euro 2012 – A closer look at Spain

Spain – FIFA ranking: 1^st
Odds to win the tournament: 6/4

Style of play: The key to Spain’s attacking and fluent 4-3-3 formation (sometimes morphing into a 4-2-3-1) is tiki-taka, a pass-and-move game with an emphasis on possession and quick ball movement. Spain keeps a narrow shape in midfield and attacking, relying on the outside fullbacks to provide width. Setting up in front of the back four is the twin axis of Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso who serve as the link between defence and midfield. In front of them, Xavi acts as the main creator, pulling the strings with the help of Andres Iniesta and David Silva who tuck in from the flanks. With David Villa out, Fernando Llorente will lead the line up front.

Probable starting formation (4-3-3): (GK) Casillas – (D) Alba, Ramos, Pique, Arbeloa – (M) Alonso, Busquets, Xavi (F) Silva, Llorente, Iniesta

Strengths:
Depth – Even without the injured Carles Puyol and David Villa, Spain has incredible depth at every position on the field. How deep is the roster? So deep that Cesc Fabregas isn’t even a starter. So deep that Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea can’t even get onto the team.
Tiki-taka – The beautiful name given to Spain’s beautiful style of play that sees the Spaniards dictate the pace of games with short passes and their uncanny ability to retain possession, forcing their opponents to always be chasing the ball.
Confidence – They’re the number one ranked team in the world. They are the defending World and European champions. They went a perfect 8-0-0 in the qualifiers. They enter this tournament having won 14 consecutive competitive matches. Need we go on any further?

Weaknesses:
Fatigue – It was a very long season for the majority of Spain’s players. Most of the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars played over 50 matches this season, while Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona contested the Spanish Cup final on May 25. Fatigue will certainly be an issue.
History – There’s a reason why no nation has won three major tournaments in a row. France came close (winning the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000) before bowing out in the first round of the 2002 World Cup. Being the best in the world isn’t easy, especially when everyone is gunning for you.

Players to watch:
Andres Iniesta – Often overshadowed by Spain teammates Xavi and David Villa, Iniesta is a world-class midfielder who combines balance, ball control and agility, and great technical ability.
Xavi – Perhaps the best player Spain has ever produced, Xavi serves as his country’s on-field general, teaming with Iniesta to form the best working midfield duo in world soccer today.
Iker Casillas – One of the best goalkeepers in the world, the Real Madrid star is an athletic shot stopper who is not only capable of making brilliant saves but also effectively organizes the defence in front of him.

Squad: GK: Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina, Victor Valdes, DF: Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa, Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Juanfran Torres, MF: Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Javi Martinez, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Juan Mata, Santi Cazorla, FW: David Silva, Fernando Llorente, Fernando Torres, Jesus Navas, Pedro Rodriguez, Alvaro Negredo
Coach: Vicente del Bosque

Striker Helder Postiga will miss the rest of Euro 2012 with a thigh strain sustained in the quarter-final win over the Czech Republic.

Postiga, Portugal’s first-choice centre-forward, was carried off after pulling up late in the first half during the Selecção’s 1-0 quarter-final victory over the Czech Republic.

The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed that Postiga suffered “a muscle injury to the back of the right thigh” following a scan on the injury.

Postiga had started all four of Portugal’s matches in Poland and Ukraine, scoring once in the 3-2 Group B victory over Denmark, entering the record books joining the small club of players who have scored at three different European Championship finals.

The Real Zaragoza striker was originally due to just sit out the semi-final against Spain in Donetsk on Wednesday but has now been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.

Although team doctor Henrique Jones will still try to help Postiga recover if Portugal make it to the Euro 2012 final. “We are going to do all we can to ensure we get him back for the final”, he said.

Postiga is Portugal’s first injury in the tournament. He is expected to be replaced by Hugo Almeida or young striker Nelson Oliveira.

Ronaldo, who scored twice against the Netherlands, hit the woodwork in each half with fine strikes. He finally found the net with 11 minutes remaining, thumping a header into the ground and beyond Petr Cech.

It was unfortunate for the Czechs that Ronaldo would play such a central figure in their defeat as they appeared to have done a good job of stifling him in the early stages.

Although Czech Republic failed to muster a shot on target as they rarely threatened throughout a tense evening.

Ahead of the game Czech Republic made one change from the team that beat Poland 1-0, with Valdmir Darida in for Daniel Kolar. Kolar had been playing the Thomas Rosicky role after the Arsenal midfielder picked up an Achilles injury. Portugal on the other hand had a fully fit squad and named an unchanged squad for the fourth consecutive game.

Portugal made a very slow start to the game with the Czech’s getting a string of corners but not quite picking out the right delivery. Any time Portugal did attack the Czech’s were quick to close them down, they had clearly done their homework.

Portugal did begin to wake up in the 12^th minute when Nani moved to the left-hand side and combined with Contreao, pawing at the Czech defence until there was an opening. Some neat skill on the ball from Contreao briefly opened up some space, although his cross hit a man in red. Nani then set Moutinho up for a long-range shot that Petr Cech saved comfortably, that was the first thing either keeper had to do. Cech was again called upon in the 24^th minute when Coentrao almost caught him out with a deflected cross from the left that looped towards goal but the Czech keeper backtracked to claim.

Suddenly Ronaldo sprung to life as he sprinted into the box to receive a pass from Moutinho and muscled Michal Kadlec off the ball. His shot was goalbound but palmed away although the ref, Howard Webb, deemed to challenge on Kadlec to be a foul so it wouldn’t have counted anyway. However the Czech’s looked just as dangerous when Theodor Gebre Selassie cut down the right and crossed low, but Pepe averted the danger.

Portugal raced back up the other end but Coentrao’s cross was deflected up and on to the top of the Czech’s goal. Ronaldo then produced an acrobatic overhead effort from a Pepe poked ball but it flew woefully wide of the goal.

No one was getting close at goal and even a Ronaldo free-kick from 30 yards flew low past the far post. The Selecção were forced to make a change on 39 minutes when Helder Postiga hit the turf clutching his thigh after starting a sprint. The striker was stretched off and replaced with Hugo Almedia.

Chances in the match were at a premium, unfortunately so were periods of prolonged possession from either side. Countless errors, misplaced passes and the like made the game not very pretty to watch.

Portugal stole all the limelight in the final minutes of the half first when Nani drooped to the turf in the penalty area leaving the Selecção screaming for a penalty, then Ronaldo had the best chance of the match. Pulling down Raul Meireles’ long ball in the box with his chest he then flicked the ball pass Michal Kadlec before it hit the turf to give him sight of goal. His shot from 10 yards beat Cech but smashed into the post.

HALF-TIME: CZECH REPUBLIC 0-0 PORTUGAL

After the tightest first half you’d ever see the first chance of the second came just 30 seconds after the break. Raul Meireles’ cross found Hugo Almeida totally unmarked 12 yards out, but he planted his header over the bar and behind. Portugal were on top two minutes later as Ronaldo had another long-range free-kick which was brought forward 10 yards after the original delivery was handled by a Czech defender. His second effort bet the wall and Cech only for the post to again deny him. Portugal had come out meaning business leaving the Czech’s with their hearts in their mouth.

The Czech’s were out in body but not in mind as they were struggling to have a constructive kick. Meireles launched another Portugal attack with a lofted pass to Ronaldo who scampered into the box and opted to shoot early though he sliced his effort and it flew wide of goal. Ronaldo then had another effort for Portugal, this time frim distance, but it deflected wide for a corner. The delivery was fired in by Meireles but over the bar.

Ronaldo was seeing more of the ball but then so were most Portugal players. It was Nani’s chance to have a shot next from 25 yards which Cech superbly palmed away. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear that Portugal had the ball in the back of the net on the 60^th minute as Hugo Almeida dived low to head into the net from a Nani cross but the flag was raised and the goal rightly ruled out.

It had taken 17 minutes but the Czech’s finally had their first attack of the half and quite a decisive one it was. A superb run from Vaclav Pilar beat three men en route to the edge of the Portugal box on the left, however his final cross was poorly delivered, like so many before. The Czech’s responded by bringing on Jan Rezek for Vladimir Darida and the chance worked as they had a decent little spell but again it was their finishing that let them down.

Portugal retained the momentum as Moutinho rifled a shot from 20 yards only to be denied by a tip-over from Cech Ronaldo followed up with another chance as he skipped in front Kadlec at the near post and tried to flick a shot at goal which went just wide. Next Ronaldo turned provider for Portugal by controlling a ball back for Meireles who had a chance to test Cech but blazed his shot well over the target.

At this point of the game, with the match being so tight, a goal for either team would all but guarantee a win and Portugal looked the most likely to get it as they came close again. Meireles strode towards the Czech box and poked a ball through for Nani whose shot is looped up and over the bar by a well-placed Kadlec. That was followed by more wastefulness by Nanias he played a one-two to get in behind the Czech defence on the right but planted his low cross straight into the arms of Cech.

With all those mossed chances the Selecção could be forgiven for giving up hope but luckily they did finally find the bag of the net on 79 minutes. It had been coming all game and it was no real surprise who scored it. Moutinho swung over a great cross from the right which was too high for Almeida but not for RONALDO who muscled his way on to a header that planted into the ground and up into the net past Cech.

The ball was now firmly in Portugal’s court as they rushed forward again looking to end the game. Perira fired a shot on goal from just inside the area but Cech palmed away. Portugal’s solution was to bring Custodio on for Nani and Rolando on for Meireles as they attempted to defend their lead even if they couldn’t add to it. Although they didn’t really need to worry as the Czech’s had failed to muster up anything since the Portuguese goal. Portugal were playing very sensibly now denying their opponents possession and the Czech’s desperation was clear.

The final drama of the game came in the last minute of extra time when the Czech’s won a corner which Cech raced up to attack however the awful corner passed everyone leaving Portugal to break. With a clear goal to aim at Pereira raced towards goal but was superbly tackled by Liberski just as he was about to play Ronaldo through on goal. That was a great tackle to prevent an embarrassing goal as they final whistle sounded.

FULL-TIME: CZECH REPUBLIC 0-1 PORTUGAL

Portugal: Rui Patricio, Joao Pereira, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao, Meireles (Rolando 88’), Veloso, Joao Moutinho, Nani (Custodio 84’), Postiga (Almeida 39’), Ronaldo

Czech Republic: Cech, Gebre Selassie, Sivok, Kadlec, Limbersky, Hubschman (Pekhart 86’), Plasil, Jiracek, Darida (Rezek 61’), Pilar, Baros

Portugal will now face Spain or France for a place in the final, and with arguably Europe’s best player beginning to show his very best form, they could take some stopping.

Star Man: Joao Moutinho

Players Ratings:

Rui Patricio – 6
Not a save to make all match, Patrício’s most testing moments came when dealing with a series of back passes. He did so without problems and showed good distribution.

Joao Pereira – 7
Another excellent match from the new Valencia right-back. Save one instant in the second half when Pilar got past him, Pereira defended tenaciously and lent good support to Portugal’s attacking efforts, especially in the second half.

Pepe – 8
It is getting difficult to find words to describe Pepe’s contribution to Portugal in this tournament. Before a ball had been kicked in Ukraine and Poland Ronaldo caused a stir when he claimed Pepe was the world’s best centre-back. The Real Madrid man appears set on proving him right. A timely interception to snuff out one of the Czech Republic’s few moments of real danger in the 27th minute was typical of another commanding display.

Bruno Alves – 8
Another rock solid performance from the Zenit defender. Imperious in dealing with high balls in midfield and unflappable in his defensive duties. Also improved his distribution in comparison to the group games.

Fabio Coentrao – 8
Another defender who is enjoying a brilliant tournament. Was Portugal’s brightest spark as they struggled to get their game going in the first half. Made an indefatigable contribution all the way up and down the left flank for the whole ninety minutes.

Miguel Velsos – 7
Maintained the high standards he has set in the first three matches. With the Czechs committing few men to attack, Veloso ventured forward more than in previous matches, and nearly played in Ronaldo on a couple of occasions with excellent diagonal passes.

Raul Meireles – 7
Meireles’ best game at Euro 2012. Got through an immense workload, as per usual, and seemed dead on his feet at around the hour mark, only to find a second wind and finish the match strongly. Beautiful cross to Almeida straight after half time and clever low pass to Nani unlocked the massed Czech defence, but his team-mates did not take advantage.

Joao Moutinho – 9
Like Pepe, João Moutinho has been immense all tournament and today he turned in another magnificent display. Dynamism personified, the FC Porto player was unlucky not to open the scoring as only a fingertip save from Cech denied him in the 63rd minute. No matter, Moutinho would be the key to victory. His outstanding cross led to the game’s only goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 9
While not afforded the same amount of space as in the Netherlands match the Portugal captain was again a massive goal threat throughout the game. Made full use of his uncommon strength, skill and aerial threat. Hit the post twice, the first time after a wonderful touch and turn to bamboozle his marker, forced Cech into overtime and finally put Portugal fans out of their misery with an unerring headed finish. With Ronaldo on this form, Portugal can hurt any team.

Helder Postiga – 5
Injury brought a premature end to Postiga’s evening on the pitch. He had run about gamely as usual, but found it difficult to get into the match during a period when the whole Portugal team were lethargic.

Nani – 7
Nani’s least effective game at the tournament, perhaps affected by picking up a first-half yellow card. Even so, the trickery and passing of the Manchester United winger caused plenty of problems for the Czech defence. Forced Cech into a sprawling save on 57 minutes and had a goal-bound shot deflected just over the bar in the 74th minute.

Subs 
Hugo Almeida
Coincidence or not, Portugal improved significantly once Almeida replaced Postiga. The burly striker wears the air of a forward lacking in confidence, but his movement was good and if his aim was better the Besiktas player could have opened the scoring in the 46th and 64th minutes when he lost his marker but headed over. Did get the ball in the back of the net in between, but he had strayed offside.

Custodio
Brought on to shore up the midfield once Portugal had taken the lead, in anticipation of a late Czech surge, he did exactly that extremely effectively. Custódio was on the pitch for less than 15 minutes but enough time to make a series of timely interceptions in the middle of the park and prevent danger reaching the Portuguese area.

Rolando
Brought on to shut up shop. Not enough time to rate.

Related Posts:

• Portugal Euro 2012: Czech Republic v Portugal preview
• Portugal  Euro 2012: A closer look at Czech Republic

The knockout stages of Euro 2012 get underway on Thursday, with Portugal and the Czech Republic the two teams to be given the first chance to book a place in the semi-finals. Paulo Bento’s team are strong favourites to progress, but having won their group against all odds the Czech Republic should not be underestimated.

Paulo Bento’s men face a tough challenge in the form of the Narodak however the Selecção are confident their form will guide them to the final four where a game against Spain could await.

‘The team which will score more goals wins the game’ is the perfect saying to sum up the game as both sides offer strong attacking waves making the outcome difficult to call. The quarter-final is sure to provide an interesting spectacle, with both teams revelling in a mini-renaissance after losing their opening games of the tournament.

When talking about attacking games between the two countries, one needs to deep dive into history books and land upon the ordinate pages of Euro 96′.

Portugal, with the likes of Luis Figo, Ruis Costa and Joao Pinto in attack had a fantastic tournament, till they lined up against the Czechs. This game was no different, the Selecção dominated the game from start to finish, but failed to break the deadlock, thanks to some resilient defending from the Czechs.

Former Manchester United man, Karel Poborksy would then break Portuguese hearts by delightfully chipping over Portugal keeper Vitor Baia and thereby ending the dream journey for the Portuguese. That team was full of attacking players but missed the finishing touches of a ‘C Ronaldo’ that this generation can boast of. It remains to be seen if the Portuguese outfit find it easy this time around or history repeats itself.

The Czech Republic tend to set up in a very similar way to Portugal, with a lone striker flanked by two advanced wingers. The only difference is that they like to play with an attacking midfielder sitting just behind this front line, occupying a more advanced position that any of Portugal’s midfield three.

Portugal have hit form at the perfect time despite alarming pre-tournament form which saw them fail to win four matches, scoring only once. Though evidently inspired by captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Bento’s men increasingly looked a real team unit as they emerged from the ‘Group of Death’ behind Germany. Despite going behind against the Dutch in their most recent game, Their 2-1 win rarely looked in doubt, with top-class performances all over the park. Counter-attacking penetration came from both wings, and through the centre of midfield.

If Portugal’s midfield can repeat the trick from Sunday and ship the ball out to Ronaldo and Nani as quickly as possible then the two wingers could well wreak havoc, especially if they can hit the same heights as they did at the weekend. They also shouldn’t be scared of shooting from range when the opportunity presents itself, since Petr Cech can be susceptible to the sort of swerving shots that Ronaldo and Nani have turned into an art form.

The only man from either camp involved in the 1996 encounter is Vladimir Smicer, now the Czechs’ ‘sports manager’ – Michal Bilek’s assistant in layman’s terms. The ex-Liverpool man, in the job since 2009, has helped Bilek sift through 32 players in order to find the 23-man squad that has taken their country to a first quarter-final in eight years.

It’s perhaps not a vintage Czech side – yet. This squad boasts nine players aged 26 or under as the country looks not only to the present but also to the future. Smicer had a hand in discovering midfield duo Petr Jiracek and Vaclav Pilar – who, despite possessing fewer than 20 caps between them, have shone at this championship with two goals apiece. The Czechs surprisingly lost their first qualifying match to Lithuania and were humbled in their Euro 2012 opener against Russia, but on both occasions recovered, showing resilience, character and togetherness. If Bilek, and in particular Smicer, can instill some of that 1996 spirit into this current Czech side then their journey might just continue.

The most productive area of the Czech Republic outfit has been the wings in this tournament with Jirasev and Pilar, both capable of assisting as well as scoring goals. The Portuguese will have to watch out for the marauding runs of these wingers and make sure crosses aren’t delivered with considerable ease. The attacking threat on the wings doesn’t end there; Full Backs Limbersky and Selassie run down the wings quite often and are capable of providing moments of brilliance.

At the top of the park, the Czechs will, as usual, operate with a solo striker with advanced wingers, exactly the way Portugal line up, cancelling each other in strategy. Milan Baros, a former Golden Boot winner, will take up that all-important berth at the top of the field.

All four of the Czech Republic’s goals so far have come from their wingers, with Petr Jirasek and Vaclav Pilar grabbing two each. Both players have pace and look to cut inside towards goal, so it will be vital that the likes of Raul Meireles and João Moutinho double up and do not leave Fábio Coentrão and João Pereira too isolated.

Team News

Portugal have a full-strength squad at their disposal for the game against the Narodak. Duo Bruno Alves and Raul Meireles both appear to have overcome the knocks picked up against the Dutch. Helder Postiga will be supported up front by Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Raul Meireles, Miguel Veloso and Joao Moutinho forming a triple pivot in midfield.

Michal Bilek’s biggest worry ahead of the quarter-final clash with Portugal is the fitness of star midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who is rated doubtful for the game on Thursday following his Achilles tendon injury sustained in the game against Greece. Should the Arsenal star fail to recover in time for the clash with Paulo Bento’s men, Viktoria Plzen’s Daniel Kolar will continue to deputise. Up front, Milan Baros is set to spearhead the Czech Republic attack.

Starting Line-ups

Match facts
Head-to-head

• Since the “velvet divorce” with Slovakia, the Czech Republic have met Portugal only twice – beating them 1-0 in the quarter-finals of Euro 96, but losing 3-1 in the group stage of Euro 2008.
• Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia and Portugal have met 12 times, winning four apiece.

Czech Republic

• The Czechs are only the second side to top a European Championship group despite shipping five goals (after Spain in 2000).
• They also qualified from the group stage with a negative goal difference in 1996 – when they went on to reach the final.
• Michal Bilek’s side lost their first match of Euro 2012 (4-1 against Russia). In 1988, the Netherlands became the only country to win the Euros after losing their first group match.

Portugal

• Having scored one goal in their first four matches this year, Portugal have now scored five in two.
• Ronaldo is the first Portuguese player to score at five major tournaments. He also scored at the Euros in 2004 and 2008, and at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
• Portugal were the only country during the group stage to use the same starting line-up in each match.

Match Odds

Czech Republic – 9/2
Draw – 27/10
Portugal – 4/5

Related Posts:

Portugal Euro 2012: A closer look at Czech Republic

The Czech’s finished top of Group A qualifying along with Greece, knocking out group favourites Russia and co-hosts Poland in the process. However their process in the tournament didn’t start off that great when they lost their opening match 4-1 toRussia. After struggling to beat Greece 2-1 in their second group match elimination from the competition looked all but certain as they headed into the final group game but they remarkably left it late to beat Poland 1-0.

Czech Republic – FIFA Ranking: 27th

Style of play: Coach Michal Bilek prefers using a 4-2-3-1 formation that allows him to make use of his team’s pace and fluidity in midfield. Milan Baros is the lone striker, serving as the point of attack. He relies on service from the three-man midfield of Tomas Rosicky (who plays in the hole just behind Baros) and the two wide men (Jaroslav Plasil and Jan Rezek). Tomas Hubschman provides cover for the back four as the defensive anchor in midfield, while Petr Jiracek assumes a deep-lying creative role in the centre of midfield. The Czechs defend in numbers, and when they win the ball back they are quick to launch forward on the counter-attack, often led by the fullbacks (Theodor Gebre Selassie and Michal Kadlec) down the wings.

Probable starting formation (4-2-3-1): (GK) Cech – (D) Kadlec, Sivok, Hubnik, Gebre Selassie – (M) Jiracek, Hubschman – (M) Rezek, Rosicky, Plasil (F) Baros

Strengths:
Youth and experience – The retirements of several key veterans forced coach Michal Bilek to introduce a handful of youngsters into the squad, most notably Petr Jiracek. Bilek has built a roster that strikes a complimentary balance between youth and experience.
Tenacity – The Czechs demonstrated during the qualifiers an uncanny ability to remain in games and lull their opponents to sleep before notching the go-ahead goal. It may not always be pretty, but the Czechs seem to find a way to win.
Team unity – The Czech Republic is more than the sum of its parts. Although not blessed with world-class players, the Czechs are a cohesive unit the play as a team and are unified by their self belief — something that served them well during a difficult qualifying campaign.

Weaknesses:
Lack of quality strikers – It says a lot that defender Michal Kadlec was the team’s top scorer in the qualifiers, registering four of his country’s 12 goals. Starter Milan Baros is not the player he once was, and the Czechs don’t have any other notable options up front. Who is going to provide the offence?
The Rosicky Factor – Midfielder Tomas Rosicky is coming off a strong campaign for Arsenal, and as Czech’s chief creator he is vital to the team’s chances for success. But he is also been hampered by a calf injury and was fighting to get fit before the start of the tournament.
Tactical rigidity -Coach Michal Bilek rarely strays from using his beloved 4-3-2-1 formation, so opponents always know what they’re up against. What’s worse is that Bilek insists on deploying Milan Baros as the lone striker, even though the former Liverpool star has lost his scoring touch.

Players to watch:
Petr Cech -After stopping Arjen Robben in a penalty shootout during Chelsea‘s Champions League victory, Cech is hungry for more European glory this summer. Considering how he’s coming off his best season in some time, you shouldn’t be too surprised if he and the Czechs turn some heads at Euro.
Tomas Rosicky – The Czech midfield creator is coming off a strong second half of the season for Arsenal, rediscovering his top form. A brilliant passer of the ball who thinks one or two moves ahead of the game.
Petr Jiracek – The left-sided midfielder has really come on by leaps and bounds this past season, winning plaudits for his poised and balanced performances.
Michal Kadlec - There are not many full-backs with seven international goals to their name but Kadlec is one of them. The Bayern Leverkusen man is regarded as a free-kick specialist.
Tomas Necid - The 22-year-old has only just recovered from a serious knee injury. However, his direct approach could cause problems to opposition defenders.

Squad: GK: Petr Cech, Jaroslav Drobny, Jan Lastuvka, DF: Theodor Gebre Selassie, Roman Hubnik, Michal Kadlec, David Limbersky, Tomas Sivok, Marek Suchy, MF: Tomas Hubschman, Petr Jiracek, Daniel Kolar, Milan Petrzela, Vaclav Pilar, Jaroslav Plasil, Tomas Rosicky, Vladimir Darida, Frantisek Rajtoral, FW: Milan Baros, David Lafata, Tomas Necid, Tomas Pekhart, Jan Rezek
Coach: Michal Bilek – At 47-years-old, Bilek will be one of the youngest managers at the tournament. Having failed to get his nation to the World Cup in 2010, Bilek will be looking for a positive response this time around.