Overview
The Czech Republic showed bravery in the penalty shootout against Denmark to win a ticket to the 206th World Cup. The Eastern European representative won 3-1 on penalties after the opponent missed 3 out of 4 penalties.
That victory marked the fourth consecutive victory of the Czech Republic, before they extended their impressive streak to five with a 2-1 victory over Kosovo.
The team nicknamed Repre currently scores at least 2 goals in each match in the last 4 appearances. However, their defense also revealed worrying signs when they conceded 5 goals in the last 3 matches, more than the total number of goals conceded in the previous 6 matches (3 goals).
Under the guidance of coach Miroslav Koubek, the Czech Republic has never faced Guatemala in the past. However, with 41st place in the FIFA rankings, they have every reason to be confident against the opponent who is ranked 96th in the world.
Home advantage is also a great support for the Eastern European team. The Czech Republic is currently unbeaten in the last 12 home matches, including 10 wins.
In the opposite direction, Guatemala closed their World Cup qualifying campaign in third place in the group. Although only one point behind second-placed Suriname, they were still eliminated before losing 1-3 to this opponent in the final match.
Since then, Guatemala has played friendly matches with Canada in January and Algeria in March. If the minimal 0-1 defeat to Canada still brings positive signs, then the heavy 0-7 defeat to Algeria further increases disappointment after missing the World Cup.
Coach Luis Fernando Tena has coached Guatemala since December 2021. The most outstanding achievement of the Mexican strategist is bringing the team to the semi-finals of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
However, the 68-year-old coach is going through a challenging period when he has only won 2 victories in the last 9 matches in all competitions, and has suffered 5 defeats.
Los Chapines' away form also does not bring much optimism. In the last 6 trips, Guatemala has only won 1 match, drawn 2 and lost 3. If they continue to lose to the Czech Republic, they will suffer their third consecutive defeat away from home.
Personnel situation
On the Czech Republic side, Patrik Schick is almost certain to return to the starting lineup after missing the match against Kosovo. The striker from Bayer Leverkusen is likely to combine with Adam Hlozek and Pavel Sulc to form the home team's attacking trio.
In midfield, West Ham United captain Tomas Soucek is expected to play alongside Lukas Cerv. This duo is heading towards the milestone of 90 and 17 appearances for the national team.
In the defense, Robin Hranac is considered one of the key factors in the Czech Republic's plan at the World Cup. To prepare for the biggest football festival on the planet, this center-back is likely to play alongside Stepan Chaloupek and Ladislav Krejci.
On the Guatemala side, if Luis Fernando Tena chooses a 4-defender formation, Jose Pinto and Marcelo Hernandez are likely to be assigned the task of guarding the goal.
This central defender duo is expected to receive support from midfielders Stheven Robles and Jose Rosales in midfield, while Olger Escobar is a bright candidate for the attacking midfielder role behind center forward Darwin Lom.
Expected lineup:
Czech Republic: Kovar, Chaloupek, Hranac, Krejci, Coufal, Cerv, Soucek, Sojka, Sulc, Hlozek, Schick.
Navarro, Yanes, Pinto, Hernandez, Morales, Robles, Rosales, Santis, Escobar, Munoz, Lom.
The match between the Czech Republic and Guatemala takes place at 7:00 AM on June 5th (Vietnam time).
