The hottest Euro Cup match! After the whistle the fight began.
Grigory Telingater June 27, 2024, 00:49 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The Czech Republic and Turkey fought so hard that we saw the first penalty in the 20th minute.
At first, the development of the match between Czech Republic and Türkiye was quite simple. The Czechs could only make the playoffs if they won. Turkey was happy with both the victory and the draw, and there was even an option to reach the round of 16 with a defeat, but this would have been quite risky (it was necessary for Georgia not to beat Portugal in a parallel match).
The task for the Czechs was already difficult, but it quickly became even more difficult. In the first 20 minutes the referee showed two yellow cards. And both to Antonin Barak. First, the midfielder committed a foul in the center of the field, grabbing the jersey of a running rival. And then Barak stepped on Ozcan’s foot with his spikes. If the first yellow card may still seem controversial, then there should be no doubt about the second.
Missing Antonin Barak
Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Ownership of the Turkish team then increased from 60+% to 70+%. And at the same time dangerous moments began to arise. Arda Guler was in the starting eleven this time and was close to scoring another nice goal. He now not with a long-range blow, but with side “scissors” from close range. At the last moment Krejci managed to clear the ball.
On the one hand, Hasek’s team more or less got by with the defense in the minority. And sometimes he even ran into counterattacks (Yurasek ruined the one-on-one, albeit at an angle). On the other hand, the Czechs got a second disqualification before the break. Chic on the bench received a yellow card for excessive emotions and it was at that moment that a place in the round of 16 was guaranteed.
Guler’s blocked shot
Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images
The second half started with a goal. In 10 seconds, the Turks dealt four dangerous blows at once! Defenders blocked twice, Stanek made a great save, but Calhanoglu’s shot was almost impossible to deal with. The captain of the Turkish team shot with the outside of his foot just under the crossbar. The Czechs’ problems did not end there: they lost another footballer. In the same prolonged attack, goalkeeper Stanek was injured and Kovar had to be released.
Everything went against the Czechs, but they scored! Khora, who came on as a substitute, fought carefully with the goalkeeper and he dropped the ball from his hands. The forward struck immediately, but the defenders cleared the ball on the goal line. However, Soucek was the first to capture the rebound and put the ball in the net (1:1). The VAR monitored the goal for a long time, but did not find any handball or foul on the goalkeeper.
Soucek’s goal
Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
The Czech Republic was one goal away from reaching the round of 16 of Euro 2024. In such a situation, the game became very tough and the number of arguments with the referee went off the scale. One could have lost count of how many yellow cards the referee handed out to the representatives of both teams on the benches.
Towards the end of the match, the Turks made a noticeable push into their penalty area. At this point, it was unclear which team had one less player. However, the Czechs had to play so boldly that there was practically no one left in defence. In the end, the Turks scored the winning goal in the 90+4 minute. Tosun completed the counterattack with a precise strike (2:1).
Immediately after the final whistle, the teams continued to sort things out. The fight ended with Khori also receiving a red card. In total, 20 cards were collected during the match (including two reds).
Cards in the Czech Republic – Türkiye match
Photo: “Championship”
Thus, Türkiye took second place in the group and will play in the round of 16 with Austria, while the Czech Republic goes home.
Here you have the complete schedules:
Final lineups for the Euro 2024 playoffs! Who did Georgia beat and who was lucky with the goal?
