Czechia and Turkey face a grandstand finish to Group F as they scramble to secure the second automatic qualification spot behind group winners Portugal.
The two nations, who are regular qualifiers for the European Championships but rarely make waves in the knockout stages, will be looking for a positive result with similar desperation in Hamburg.
Turkey have a slight upper hand as they know they can afford to draw the match after their 3-1 opening-round win against Georgia, but for Czechia, it is win or bust after picking up just a point from two games to date.
It is hardly in Turkey’s nature under Vincenzo Montella to sit back and defend though, so the game should be an entertaining contest.
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Team News
Czechia
While Ivan Hašek’s Czechs were relieved to secure a point from a dangerous encounter with Georgia that finished 1-1, there was a major scare during the second half.
Shortly after grabbing his side’s equaliser, star striker Patrik Schick limped off with what has been reported as a calf injury.
Czech media have reported in advance of this contest that Schick will be sidelined by the issue and unable to play a part in such a crucial contest.
If this is the case, then it leaves Hašek with a big dilemma up front.
The choices that remain are three strikers who play in the Czech First League; Sparta Prague’s Jan Kuchta, Slavia Prague’s Mojmír Chytil and Tomáš Chorý of Viktoria Plzeň.
The trio scored 45 league goals between them in the 2023-24 season, and offer different skillsets as Chorý is the big target man at six foot and six inches tall, Kuchta often plays in a 3-4-3 system similar to what the Czechs are using, and Chytil is a talented all-round forward.
What might give Chytil the edge, however, is a link-up with his club teammates.
Hašek has selected nine league-winning Slavia players in his 26-man squad, with three – Jindřich Staněk, Tomáš Holeš and Lukáš Provod – having started both group games.
Kuchta did start against Portugal but did little before being taken off, while Chytil had a quiet 22-minute cameo against Georgia, so whoever is picked will have to improve their standards rapidly.
Turkey
In contrast to Czechia’s dilemmas trying to get more out of a settled side, Vincenzo Montella will need to find a consistent starting XI during this contest.
Having made four changes from their win against Georgia, the Crescent Stars fell flat against Portugal in a 3-0 defeat, with goalkeeper Altay Bayındır particularly criticised after coming in for the injured Mert Günok.
Günok has missed training sessions after the defeat, however, and Bayındır is expected to remain in goal against Czechia.
Elsewhere, centre-back Abdülkerim Bardakcı has picked up two bookings and will miss the match due to suspension.
Merih Demiral is expected to partner the scorer of the disastrous own goal against Portugal, Samet Akaydin, in central defence as a result, while there will be a close call between Mert Müldür and Zeki Çelik at right-back.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Salih Özcan has not been fancied by Montella yet in the Championships, and if he does not start ahead of Kaan Ayhan, then it can be assumed Turkey will sit slightly deeper as a side.
Arda Güler is expected to return after the side looked flat when he was forced to start from the bench against Portugal due to a groin complaint, and fellow teenager Kenan Yıldız may return in place of Kerem Aktürkoğlu.
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Likely Lineups
Czechia
Staněk; Holeš, Hranáč, Krejčí; Coufal, Souček, Provod, D. Jurásek; Lingr, Hložek; Chytil
Turkey
Bayındır; Müldür, Demiral, Bardakcı, Kadıoğlu; Çalhanoğlu, Ayhan; Güler, Kökçü, Yıldız; Yılmaz
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Key Players
Czechia – Adam Hložek
Without club teammate Patrik Schick in the side, 21-year-old Hložek is the most naturally talented player the Czechs possess.
The Bayer Leverkusen forward has just won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, and while his minutes were limited this season – with just 11 of his appearances being starts – his 36 games for the club were more than any other forward in their squad.
His seven goals were fewer than wing-backs Álex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong and just one more than centre-back Jonathan Tah, but with star turns in a crucial 3-2 win against Freiburg, a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt and the final Europa League group game against Malmö, Hložek showed he could take a chance when it was presented to him.
He remains very young, with his 33 caps at just 21 years of age being a Czech record after showing so much promise in youth football.
Those caps have not seen a huge impact, with just two senior international goals to his name against Belarus and Montenegro, but that has been whilst playing off the main striker rather than being the trusted man.
In the absence of Schick, it is now time for Hložek to step up and be counted for.
Turkey – Merih Demiral
Another player who was highly rated in his youth, Demiral quickly secured a big move to Juventus at the age of just 21 and immediately became part of the first team.
Having been purchased at the same time as Matthijs de Ligt, however, Demiral always suffered from comparisons to a man 16 months his junior.
A cruel Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury ruled him out of the second half of his debut campaign in 2019-20, and his second season was one of limited success while being used as a squad player.
Two years at Atalanta followed, one on loan and the other as a permanent signing, but Demiral was clearly frustrated with being rotated as he moved to Al-Ahli of the Saudi Pro League in the summer of 2023.
Demiral has still struggled for consistency, starting only 17 games this season in a side where the bigger stars are Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessié, Roger Ibañez and Édouard Mendy, but he is still one of the best Turkish defenders out there.
Turkey need him, too, after the injuries to Çağlar Söyüncü and Ozan Kabak before these Championships.
If Demiral can impress on just his second international start in the last 10 months, then it will be a huge factor in his country’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The match takes place at the Volksparkstadion, the home of Hamburger SV of the 2. Bundesliga. The stadium holds a capacity of 49,000 fans for all five games it is hosting at Euro 2024.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 20:00 BST, the same time as the Georgia vs Portugal match which also concludes Group F.
How can I watch?
British audiences can watch the game live on ITV4, with coverage starting from 19:15 BST.
