Slovenia's Under-21 team still have hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the European U-21 Championship after securing a goalless draw against England in their second match.
The Czech Republic has been knocked out after suffering defeats in both games, conceding a total of seven goals against England and Germany. Will they be able to restore some pride, or are they destined to end the tournament without earning a single point?
Team updates
Slovenia has stuck with their 4-2-3-1 formation in their previous matches, and it is expected that they will maintain the same lineup for this game.
Tio Cipot, who plays in Austria and has scored eight goals at this level, is likely to lead the attack once again.
The Czech Republic utilizes a 3-5-2 system with Daniel Fila and Vaclav Sejk up front, but their defense has struggled, especially in the wing-back positions. This could be a concern against a Slovenia team that thrives on the wings, prompting a possible tactical adjustment.
Key statistics
Slovenia U-21s had 61% possession against Germany, generated scoring opportunities, and exceeded 1.0 xG against the highly regarded German team.
In the match against Slovenia, England made 20 attempts but only managed to put three of them on target.
The Czech Republic U-21s have conceded a total of seven goals in their first two games.
Jan Suchoparek's team ended up tied on points with the third-placed team in qualifying, Wales, with only a 50% win rate.
Slovenia won five out of their eight qualifying games, conceding just seven goals.
Forecast
Slovenia requires a victory, an English loss, and a five-goal difference in order to advance to the next stage. Germany would fall behind England in case of a defeat, which means they will be approaching the match seriously.
Slovenia's U-21 team qualified impressively for the tournament for only the second time, overcoming France in the qualifiers by winning five out of eight games and conceding only seven goals. In contrast, the Czech team failed to win half of their qualifying matches, finishing as runners-up to Denmark.
The Czech team has been outplayed in both matches, where England and Germany dominated proceedings. Slovenia showed good possession against Germany and displayed resilience to secure a draw against reigning champions England.
Driven by motivation and showcasing better performances in the tournament so far, Slovenia are expected to achieve a positive outcome in their final group game. Although this might not guarantee qualification, they have the opportunity to claim their first victory in the U-21 championship by exploiting the Czech team's defensive vulnerabilities.