The Czech Republic carry a weight of talent in their stride and this evening their opponents Wales will have to be wary of the opposition.
That has been exemplified to full extent in their opening two matches of World Cup Qualification, in which they crushed Estonia in a 6-2 victory before holding Belgium to a draw on Saturday.
Wales have not enjoyed quite the start however. They have only played one match, that being a 3-1 defeat to the Red Devils
Therefore, Wales will need to be watchful of the threat they so-evidently carry. Here is the scope on three Czech players to keep a particular eye on.
Embed from Getty Images1. Tomas Soucek
The name Tomas Soucek will not be unfamiliar to many by now.
This campaign, the West Ham midfielder has lit up the Premier League with a host of spellbinding performances and has conveyed such displays to the International stage, too.
Last Wednesday, Soucek netted a hattrick in his side’s triumph over Estonia and provides a serious goal threat from the heart of midfield.
Capable of playing anywhere in the middle of the park, the ex-Slavia Prague man marries a bulking presence with the tendency to progress the ball forward and drive into space.
You do feel that, if Rob Page’s side are to get anything from the encounter, then nullifying the 26-year old will be paramount.
Embed from Getty Images2. Patrick Schick
Likewise, Patrick Schick will also need a special eye kept on his precocious talents.
The gifted forward starred against the Estonian’s, scoring once and assisting twice to bookmark his multidimensional potency.
At club level, Schick has impressed. Over the current season, the Czech Republic International sits on a healthy return of eight goals in just 15 starts.
The Bayer Leverkusen dynamo will be looking to translate his marksmanship and technical prowess into Tuesday’s affair.
Embed from Getty Images3. Tomas Pekhart
Lastly, Tomas Pekhart is an individual more than capable of wrecking havoc in the final third.
Once on the books of Southampton and Tottenham, Pekhart is now with Legia Warsaw.
The towering forward has enjoyed a stellar season in the Polish top flight, finding the back of the net 19 times in 19 appearances.
Pekhart is yet to start for his nation in their Qualification campaign, although that could signal that a starting berth against Wales is imminent.
If so, the Welsh backline will be faced with a testing challenge. Coupling daunting physicality with predatory instincts, the 31-year old is surely going to be a real handful.
(Featured Image: Tadeáš Bednarz)
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