On Thursday night Portugal will take on the Czech Republic in the first of the quarter finals, here’s a look at how the two sides have done so far, the battles that may shape the match and who will come out on top.
Road to the quarters
Czech Republic – After opening day humiliation at the hands of Russia, the Czechs looked a sure bet for an early exit, but 2 goals in the first 6 minutes against Greece saw them go on to secure a win and move back into contention. Coming into the last game off the back of a valiant fight back against their Russian rivals, many thought that co-hosts Poland would have enough in them to win. They didn’t. After surviving several early scares, the Czech Republic scored a well taken goal on the break and thanks to Greece’s shock win over Russia, they topped the group, setting up a quarter final date with Portugal.
Portugal – Like their opposition, the Portuguese suffered a loss in their opening game, though being an unfortunate narrow loss to Germany perhaps there was less cause for concern in their camp. Despite letting a 2 goal lead slip, a late great Varela finish secured a win against Denmark which meant beating the Netherlands would send them through to the quarters, a draw being enough should Denmark fail to beat Germany. An early Van der Vaart effort put their hopes in doubt before Ronaldo came good, well, more than good, scoring 2 goals in a brilliant individual display he helped the Portuguese secure second spot and progression.
Possible line ups
