Czech Republic – Denmark

The second half of the match in Prague will surprise with the opponents’ goal-scoring efficiency.

The Czech Republic national team took part on Thursday in the playoff-qualifying semifinal against Ireland. The match between these teams was the most dramatic of the eight played as part of the day's fixtures. By the middle of the first half, in front of their home fans, the Czech side found themselves trailing 0-2. Fortunately, right after the second conceded goal the Czechs earned a penalty, successfully converted by Patrik Schick. In the second half, the game was evenly contested, but near the end of regulation time, after a corner kick, luck smiled on the Czech Republic — 2:2. The match went to a penalty shootout, where the hosts again faced a critical moment. Leading on penalties 3-2, the British players somehow missed twice in a row and lost 3-4. It cannot be said that the Denmark national team did not face problems in their match against North Macedonia. In Copenhagen, there were two halves that were completely different in character. In the first, Denmark failed to break down the wall of the Macedonian defense, while in the second they hammered the opponent and scored after almost every shot on target. The Nordic side won 4-0, which will clearly boost their confidence in Prague. Bookmakers have named the visitors as favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 2.02 on their victory. On the one hand, the Czech Republic showed real character in the semifinal, managing to break down a tough opponent twice. On the other hand, despite all the form shown by the Irish, the Danes are a much higher-level team. It is unlikely the home side will be able to keep their goal untouched under pressure from the expensive attacking players of Marseille, Sporting, Lazio, Napoli, and Brentford. At the same time, one should not doubt the attacking abilities of the Czech Republic itself. Patrik Schick and his teammates in 19 official matches in 2024-2026 have not scored against only two opponents. Interestingly, the Bayer striker scored against Denmark in the last head-to-head meeting between the teams, which took place in the Euro 2020 quarterfinal. The Danes then put two goals in the opponents' net. Given the stakes of the upcoming duel, an advantage for either side around the 60-70 minute mark could lead to a midfield-less game in the closing minutes of regulation time. This will affect the scoring rate of the second half.