Czech Republic kick-start their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with a Group L fixture against Faroe Islands at Malsovicka Arena in Hradec Kralove on Saturday night.
Both nations are joined in Group L by Montenegro, Gibraltar and the loser of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie between France and Croatia.
Match preview
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After being knocked out in the group stage at Euro 2024 last summer, finishing rock bottom of their group with just one point from three games, Czech Republic responded well by securing promotion to League A in the UEFA Nations League at the end of last year.
Ivan Hasek's side collected 11 points from six matches (W3 D2 L1) to finish top of League B Group 1 ahead of Ukraine, Albania and Georgia, most recently beating the latter 2-1 on home soil in mid-November.
Czechia have indeed excelled on their own turf where they have lost just one of their last 18 internationals across all competitions (W13 D4), winning each of their last seven and scoring 15 goals in the process.
Ranked 42nd in the world by FIFA, Czechia will back themselves to come out on top this weekend as they boast a 100% record against Faroe Islands (W7), scoring at least two goals on five occasions and keeping a clean sheet in each victory.
Hasek's men are hoping to make a strong start to their World Cup qualification campaign as they endeavour to secure their spot at the 2026 tournament, two decades on from their last World Cup appearance back in 2006.
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After enduring a 10-game winless run in 2023, Faroe Islands finished fourth in the four-team Baltic Cup in June last year before avoiding relegation from League C of the Nations League for the second time towards the end of 2024.
Landslioio finished third after picking up six points from as many group-stage matches, with four of those collected across home and away meetings with Armenia, drawing 2-2 on their own turf a month before winning 1-0 away in mid-November.
Hakan Ericson was relieved of his duties prior to that victory after five years in charge, with Eydun Klakstein appointed as his successor having previously coached the nation's Under-17 and Under-21 sides.
Ranked 137th in the world by FIFA, Faroe Islands are seeking to improve their form in the final third after scoring two or more goals in only one of their last nine internationals (W1 D3 L5) - eight of the nations that they played against were ranked lower than Saturday's opponents Czech Republic.
Landslioio, who have never qualified for a major tournament, travel to Hradec Kralove this weekend with an away record that leaves little to be desired; they have failed to win any of their last nine World Cup qualifiers on the road and have also won just three of their last 29 away games in all competitions (D10 L17) over a near five-year period.
Team News
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Czech Republic's Vladimir Coufal has missed West Ham United's last five matches with a hamstring strain, but he has been called up for international duty and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to start this weekend.
David Doudera could be tasked with filling in a right-back if Coufal is not deemed fit to feature, joining Tomas Holes, Ladislav Krejci and Matej Jurasek in a four-man defence.
Tomas Soucek - another from West Ham - is set to captain his nation in midfield alongside Pavel Sulc and Lukas Cerv, while Patrik Schick, who has scored 20 goals in 42 international games, could be joined in attack by Vaclav Cerny and either Vasil Kusej or Lukas Provod.
As for Faroe Islands, Klakstein is set to stick with the three-at-the-back system that he deployed in his first two matches in charge, with Odmar Faero, Gunnar Vatnhamar and Andrias Edmundsson all in contention to retain their places in central defence.
Jann Benjaminsen and Viljormur Davidsen are expected to provide width as wing-backs, and experienced pair Hallur Hansson and Brandur Hendriksson could link arms in midfield, while Meinhard Olsen, Petur Knudsen and Arni Frederiksberg - who have scored just three international goals between them (one each) - may form the front three.
Czech Republic possible starting lineup:
Kovar; Doudera, Holes, Krejci, Jurasek; Soucek, Cerv; Cerny, Sulc, Kusej; Schick
Faroe Islands possible starting lineup:
Reynatrod; Faero, Vatnhamar, Edmundsson; Benjaminsen, Hansson, Hendriksson, Davidsen; Frederiksberg, Knudsen, M. Olsen
We say: Czech Republic 3-0 Faroe Islands
Czech Republic have won each of their last five matches against nations currently ranked 100th or lower in the FIFA standings and having won seven out of seven meetings with Faroe Islands, who tend to struggle away from home, they will be regarded as firm favourites to secure maximum points this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
