Croatia face the Czech Republic in Glasgow on Friday aiming to avoid a defeat in their second match of a major tournament for the first time in their history.
Zlatko Dalic's side lost 1-0 to England in their opening Euro 2020 match last weekend and face likely early elimination if results go against them in the second round of Group D games.
The omens are good for Croatia, though, having won six and drawn four of their 10 previous matchday two games at the European Championship and World Cup.
That includes a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic at Euro 2016, though three points will be the target for the 2018 World Cup runners-up in this latest meeting at Hampden Park.
An improvement will be required from Croatia following their loss to England, which made it eight defeats in their last 14 games.
"We have to do better in attack," Dalic said after the defeat at Wembley. "It won't be easy against the Czech Republic and Scotland, but I'm optimistic.
"Against Belgium and England we didn't win, but we weren't crushed. We need a win to give us confidence. One good win with one or two goals would really open us up."
Croatia could lose three games in a row for only the third time ever, also doing so in June 2006 and March 2021, and they come up against a Czech Republic side in good form.
Jaroslav Silhavy's charges beat Scotland 2-0 in Glasgow thanks to a Patrik Schick double and will be through to the last 16 if they beat Croatia, but the Czech head coach is anticipating a difficult test.
"They have players who like playing the ball, combine and build up attacks from the back," Silhavy said.
"If they have a good day, they will be very tough opponents for us. I still consider them among two favourites of our group and we are the third ones behind."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Croatia – Ante Rebic
A number of Croatia's big-name players failed to show up against England, but Rebic did at least look a threat at times. The Milan winger was the only Croatia player to have more than one shot, albeit failing to score from all three attempts.
Rebic has just three goals in 39 international appearances, scoring from one of his last 31 shots since netting against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup, so an improvement will be required in front of goal.
Czech Republic – Patrik Schick
Schick's double against Scotland included an incredible strike from 49.7 yards, making it the longest-range goal recorded in all European Championship games going back to 1980.
The Bayer Leverkusen forward had five of his side's seven shots on target – the most a Czech Republic player has managed in a match at a major tournament. He has now been involved in 10 goals in his last nine starts for his country.
KEY OPTA FACTS
– The Czech Republic have never beaten Croatia (D2 L1). Their three previous meetings have produced 12 goals, an average of four per game.
– Croatia and the Czech Republic have met once previously at a major tournament – in the group stages of Euro 2016. The game ended 2-2, with the Czechs coming back from 2-0 down to secure their only point of the group phase.
– Croatia have not lost consecutive games at a European Championship tournament since 1996, with those losses coming against Portugal in Nottingham and Germany in Manchester.
– Just one of the Czech Republic's last 19 group-stage games at major tournaments has ended in a draw (W9 L9), with that coming against Croatia at Euro 2016.
– Including games as Czechoslovakia, only twice before have the Czechs won both of their opening two group-stage games at a major international tournament (World Cup 1990 and Euro 2004).
Steven Naismith wants his Hearts players to thrive under pressure
Hearts head coach Steven Naismith has told his players they have to use the pressure and expectation that comes with playing for the club to spur them on to Hampden.
Naismith faced the wrath of some Hearts fans on Saturday when a 1-0 reverse against St Mirren left them with five defeats in their last six games.
The former Scotland international views Tuesday’s Viaplay Cup quarter-final at Kilmarnock as the perfect opportunity to atone.
“Being at a club like Hearts, when you don’t win on a Saturday, there’s that frustration and that’s something that builds,” the 37-year-old said.
“I’m comfortable and confident that by the end of the week we can look back on it being a good week and that starts on Tuesday night.
“The game at the weekend was small margins, we don’t take our chances and give up a cheap goal.
“This game coming so quickly is good because it gives us a chance to react but the bigger picture is it’s a chance to get to Hampden and one step closer to getting silverware which is something as a squad we are desperate to get. But also that expectation from the club is there, that we should be getting into these positions.
“It’s something you become aware of when you come to the club, it’s not so much any single person letting you know that.
“The crowd that travel to every away game, the crowd that are in the stadium for home games, they are there because they have a right passion for the club and want to see success.
“You could argue that over the last 10-15 years there has probably not been enough silverware.
“In terms of being in the later rounds of competitions, that has been pretty successful over the last five or six years but taking that next step to win something is the most important one and one that us as a squad need to show we are capable of.”
Naismith won six major trophies with Rangers and also played in cup finals with Kilmarnock and Hearts, the latter resulting in defeat by Celtic in one of three Scottish Cup finals Hearts have reached in the past five years.
“We were two or three penalty-kicks away from winning the Scottish Cup and never managed to do it,” he said.
“That element of pressure for me is something I have managed throughout my career to some ways enjoy and push you forward. As players that is what you have to do.
“The week to week, day to day of signing a new contract and of playing x amount of games is one achievement but if you want real success then that’s defined by winning trophies.
“As a player fortunately I managed to do it and I know what it takes, so hopefully us as a squad can do it.”
Hearts have failed to score in four of their past five matches but Naismith believes there are encouraging signs.
“The frustration from my side is that we have picked up injuries to more attacking players,” he said.
“One positive is, in the chances we have created, it’s different players that are getting on the end of them.
“It’s not as if we are relying on one player to get on the end of crosses and through-balls. We are getting plenty of men forward. It’s just converting them really.”
Nathaniel Atkinson drops out through injury for Hearts but Andy Halliday is back.
Chelsea owners ‘need to support plan’ despite rocky run – Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s owners must look past their disappointment and back him to implement the plan he was hired to draw up in order to lift the club out of their slump.
Defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday means the team have taken an average of 0.85 points per game over the last 35 matches, three short of a full league season.
Over a single campaign they would have won 32 points, a tally that would have seen them relegated in every Premier League season since the league became 38 games in 1995, and would have left them bottom of the table in five of them.
That run goes back to October 19 last year when the team, then managed by Graham Potter, drew 0-0 away at Brentford.
Pochettino is the fourth manager to have led the side in that period, with Potter having been removed on April 2 and Frank Lampard taking over until the end of the campaign, with a single game in charge for caretaker boss Bruno Saltor.
Despite the turnover of coaches, the Blues have won only six times in the league in the 11 months since, drawing 12, giving them a return of 30 points from 35 games.
The squad assembled by co-owner Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium at a cost of more than £1billion over the last 16 months are currently 14th in the table after six games and have not scored in 285 minutes of play.
Pochettino encouraged supporters to keep faith and focus on the quality of recent performances rather than the club’s relegation form over the last year.
“It’s about learning, it’s about the process,” he said after Ollie Watkins’ second-half goal for Villa condemned his side to their third loss of the season.
“We are a young team (in) a process that they need to learn all together. It’s difficult to talk about positives because when you lose it’s difficult, but we need to talk about positive things.
“No doubt that with time the team is going to perform, but of course now we cannot hide the situation. It’s a situation that disappoints all the fans, the club, us and the players.
“They (the owners) are disappointed, they arrive to the club and (were) so excited to build some project. Of course they feel disappointed, but at the same time they need to support the plan.”
If there was a bright spot for Chelsea it was the return of striker Armando Broja after nine months out with an ACL injury.
The Albania international came off the bench in the second half and headed wide in the closing minutes as the team sought an equaliser.
“It was good to see Broja after nine, 10 months,” said Pochettino. “Again I think to have the possibility to have different options is good for the team. But he needs to build his confidence also.”
Watkins’ goal was his first in the league this season and the striker admitted it was a weight off his shoulders.
“The first one is always hard to get,” Watkins told VillaTV.
“I’m delighted to get off the mark now.
“It’s a bit of a relief, really, because the more the games go by, there’s a lot of talk and pressure.
“But I just try and block that out and I back myself in front of goal no matter what anyone says.
“I’m looking forward to the games coming up now and plenty more goals for the season.”
Thomas Tuchel wary of history as Bayern Munich face huge underdogs in DFB Cup
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has vowed his side will not be taking lowly Preussen Munster lightly on Tuesday in the DFB Cup.
Tuchel’s side sit top of the Bundesliga and head to third division Munster on the back of last week’s Champions League win over Manchester United and Saturday’s 7-0 thrashing of Bochum.
The Bayern boss recalled the club’s embarrassing 1-0 defeat to German minnows Vestenbergsgreuth at the same stage of the DFB Cup in 1994 when the fourth-tier side caused one of the competition’s biggest upsets.
Tuchel told a press conference: “I remember the name Vestenbergsgreuth. I couldn’t believe it at the time. We won’t underestimate the opponent.
“We’re preparing seriously. We’ll play like Bayern want to play. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side.
“We’re the favourites. There’s not much for us to win. We want to win. We want to get to Berlin and be in the final. We have to keep winning games for that.”
Bayern have won all 28 of their DFB Cup first-round ties since that defeat to Vestenbergsgreuth – a current record – which included a 4-1 win against Munster in the two sides’ only previous meeting in the 2014-15 season.
“Munster can play without pressure,” Tuchel added. “We want to be dominant, want possession, want to use our individual quality.
“We’re expecting an opponent who fights as a unit for an upset. They’ll probably focus on set pieces. They’ll probably also look to use their fans.”
England captain Harry Kane maintained his fine start to life in Munich in Saturday’s defeat of Bochum, scoring a hat-trick and providing two assists.
Kane has eight goals in nine appearances for Bayern and Tuchel praised his partnership with former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane.
“Leroy speaks fluent English, communicates a lot with Harry,” Tuchel said. “Harry makes his teammates better, with his character, his style.
“Leroy is in very good form, with good body language and a very good mindset. Both are combing very well at the moment.”
Tuchel said he expected Portugal midfielder Raphael Guerreiro to return to the squad after being sidelined since mid-July due to a calf injury.
“I haven’t made a decision yet about who’ll play,” Tuchel added. “Matthijs de Ligt is unfortunately out and we need to see with Dayot Upamecano and Min-jae Kim.”
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