Greece v Czech Republic betting

Greece

Greece will not be receiving rave reviews ahead of Euro 2012, qualification group toppers or not. They were the lowest scoring automatic qualifiers with just 14 goals from their 10 matches. None of their strikers managed more than one. Looking at the Greeks for entertainment could quite frankly be a waste of time.

It will come as no surprise to football fans who remember their 2004 Euros success that their new man to watch is a young defender. Kyriakos Papadopoulos had reportedly attracted the attention of Manchester United’s scouts before joining Schalke, and the 19 year old is impressing on international duty. But as ever, Greece continue to find methods and players to prevent play, rather than make it.

And so we will be forced to watch teams fight to breakdown Greece again. If they can nick a goal from a set piece they will be chuffed.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic are not a team full of well known stars, and it is frustrating that in a game against a defensive side like Greece that the Czech’s best player is goalkeeper Petr Cech. Playmaker Rosicky makes rare appearances for Arsenal nowadays, not that he is old, he merely fails to perform to the level expected of him.

Goals are clearly going to be a problem. Top scorer Michal Kadlec notched up four in qualifying, yet three were penalties. And he’s a left back. Add to that the fact that striker Milan Baros is still their main man up front and there are obvious signs of worry; the ex-Liverpool man has scored just once for his country in two years.

Do they have enough about them to break down teams who are happy to defend, yet are quite good at it in comparison to the minnows who have little choice? That is to be seen.

Match Prediction: Draw

Tight games between the lesser quality teams in this tournament will go either way. They will either see teams going out for the win from the off, attacking each other in the knowledge that three points here could be their only chance to qualify. But there is the other side, the defensive stranglehold of a match where teams fear defeat, and set out with one striker and a rigid barrier of a defence. When it comes to Greece you can most definitely expect the latter.

With that in mind, expect a drab affair. The Czech Republic do have signs of quality, and if Tomas Rosicky can perform for his country in the way he did to earn his move to Arsenal then maybe the door can be unlocked. But he is not the player he was, and neither is Milan Baros, and having just faced Russia it is hard to see them being in a position to attack and lose more points if the expected happens and they are defeated there.

Not to stamp on the prospects of a game, but maybe this is not one to rush home for. 0-0 in any game in this group? It’s got to be here.

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Under 2.5 Goals First Goalscorer: No Goalscorer Correct Score: 0-0 Draw

Match Odds:-

Greece – Draw - Czech Republic –