Portugal men's national soccer team: one of the strongest soccer teams in Europe, founded in 1914 and managed by the Portuguese Football Federation, the current coach is Fernando Santos.
On June 19th at 3:00 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Group F of the UEFA Europa League will see Portugal take on the Czech Republic, the iron horse of Eastern Europe.
Portugal are undoubtedly one of the favorites to win this year's Euro, having managed to reach the top of Euro 2016 and with a stellar record of three Euro semifinal appearances, and reaching the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup despite a regrettable exit at the Euro 2020 Round of 16 stage. With new manager Roberto Martinez taking over, the team has shown many positive signs. While France, England and Germany are considered the favorites to win the tournament, Portugal is also well positioned to compete for the title thanks to the talent and experience shown by its star-studded squad. Crowe scored twice in an impressive friendly against Ireland. However, Portugal has also recently lost two of its last four matches, but is still a strong contender for the top spot in Group F.
The Czech Republic are not to be underestimated, having won their most recent friendly 2-1 against North Macedonia and are on a five-match winning streak in all competitions, including a Euro qualifier against Moldova last November and subsequent friendlies against Norway, Armenia, Malta and North Macedonia. Runners-up at Euro 1996, semi-finalists in 2004, quarter-finalists at two of the last three Euros, and even winners as Czechoslovakia in 1976, the Czech Republic are more than capable of pulling off a surprise this summer. They are coming off a strong Euro 2024 qualifying campaign that saw them take 15 points from eight matches to move ahead of Poland in Group E. They are also in the final of the Euro 2024 World Cup, where they won the tournament with a total of 15 points from eight matches.
Looking at the head-to-head history, the Czech Republic have lost four of their previous five matches against Portugal, most recently 0-1 in the 2022 UEFA Nations League.
In terms of predictions for this match, although Portugal is strong, Crowe's form could be a variable. The Czech Republic has been in excellent form lately, so if Portugal starts Crowe in a tough match, they may face a problem. Considering the group stage, Martinez is likely to start Crowe, giving the Czech Republic a good chance to stay undefeated in this match. Let's see who gets the upper hand in this matchup.
