In the first of two preparatory matches before the European Championship, the Czech footballers lost 0: 4 in Italy. The four-time world champions decided in Bologna in the opening half, when Ciro Immobile and Nicolo Barella hit the spots. After the change of sides, Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Berardi prevailed.
For the Czech national team, it is a balanced second hardest defeat in independent history, with a higher difference they lost only the year before in the European qualification in England (0: 5). They lost by four or more goals for the fourth time.
On Tuesday, the Czech team will play the general in front of the Euro in Prague on Letná against Albania. Coach Jaroslav Šilhavý’s charges did not win for the third time in a row in conjunction with the March world qualification and lost for the fourth time in the last five outdoor matches.
The Italians, for whom today’s duel was general for the championship, on the other hand, confirmed their excellent form. The third most successful team in the history of the World Cup in the last eight matches won without a conceded goal and extended the invincibility to 27 matches.
Šilhavý did not place the support of Souček with Schick or the goalkeeper Vaclík in his basic set, over whom Pavlenka took precedence. Hložek and Kalas were missing due to injuries.
The Czech team, which has been preparing for a training camp in northern Italy since Monday, started actively, but did not benefit from a good introduction. The favorite added and opened the score in the 23rd minute. Brabec turned the trench into the lime only to Immobile, who broke through Pavlenka over Čelůstka.
The guests also collected the second goal after the run. Barella took advantage of the fact that the defenders backed up in front of him, stretched in front of the lime and Bořil unhappily knocked the ball into his own net.
Immediately after the break, Šilhavý sent three substituting players Souček, Schick and Zima to the lawn, but the Czech team still did not do very well. In the 50th minute, after Berardi’s shot from a direct kick to the front post, Pavlenka had to hit, after eight minutes Insigne’s pointed shot ended a bit outside. After the next corner, he headed right next to Chiellini.
In the 66th minute, the “squadra azzura” increased. On the pass from Immobile, Insigne ran on the edge of the offside and on the day of his 30th birthday, he pushed himself through the shot on the back post.
In the next seven minutes, the young man Zima lost the ball and the subsequent Italian combination action was clearly completed by Berardi, who let Pavlenka fall and dug the ball into the net.
In the last 10 minutes, Sadílek also got on the lawn, who scored the first start for the national team A-team, but he was no longer able to move the result. The Czech team did not win in Italy even in the 19th match in the basic playing time.
Šilhavý’s charges will enter the championship on June 14 in Glasgow against Scotland, then there they will compete with Croatia and play against England in London.
Preparatory football match in Bologna:
Italy – Czech Republic 4: 0 (2: 0)
Goals: 23. Immobile, 42. Barella, 66. Insigne, 73. Berardi. Judges: Tschudi – Josipovic, Sbrissa (all Swiss). No cards. Attendance: 1000 (limited number).
Italy: Donnarumma – Florenzi (86. Tolói), Bonucci, Chiellini (64. Acerbi), Spinazzola (63. Emerson) – Barella, Jorginho (63. Cristante), Locatelli – Berardi (77. Chiesa), Immobile (78. Raspadori), Insigne. Trenér: Mancini.
Czechia: Pavlenka – Coufal, Čelůstka (46th Winter), Brabec, Bořil – King, Darida (81st Sadílek) – Masopust (61st Ševčík), Barák (46th Souček), Jankto (61st Otter) – Krmenčík (46th Schick ). Coach: Squinting.
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