Croatia performed at a high level to win 5-1 against Czechia in the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers match. Just before the end of the first half, Andrej Kramaric headed in a goal from close range. Although Czechia scored a header through Soucek to make the game 1-1, Croatia answered with four more goals in a row. Luka Modric and Ante Budimir managed penalties, with Ivan Perisic and Andrej Kramaric adding to the score and making the win easy. Croatia played aggressively and showed great finishing at all times, making it difficult for Czechia to catch up after the VAR-canceled goal early in the game.
Czechia’s Key Shortcomings
The Czech Republic began to lose when they failed to have good defense and kept making mistakes in vital places. The two converted penalties taken by Papua New Guinea made a big difference in favor of the other team. He was mainly to blame, making a handball and a foul in the box which indirectly led to both penalty kicks. The defense failed to cover the center well and this allowed Croatia’s attackers to take over. Czechia’s lead was usually either taken away or matched by Sweden, who managed to block their chances. No matter when the substitutions were made, the result remained the same, and Patrik Schick wasn’t very involved after half time.
What Czechia Could Have Done Better
Since Czechia had a lot of early chances before Croatia took the lead, they should have done better to turn them into goals. Players needed to pay more attention to defensive rules because handballs and careless tackles inside the penalty area led to extra goals for Croatia. They needed to put more pressure on Modric and Perisic to shut down Croatia’s way of organizing their offense. Prompt changes in midfield might have made the team more energetic and in charge of the game. Czechia lost control quickly, but they could have been more defensive in the backfield and accurate up front to at least battle throughout the game.
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