Súchy gets Czech chance against Lithuania

The Czech Republic will be hoping previous results bode well when they host Lithuania in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group I, having won all four meetings between the sides.

Team news
• With Beşiktaş JK defender Tomáš Sivok sidelined with long-term knee injury, Czech Republic coach Michal Bílek tried to lure former captain Tomáš Ujfaluši back into his selection, but the 31-year-old Club Atlético de Madrid defender, who has not played for his country since March 2009, declined. The 22-year-old Marek Súchy, on loan to FC Spartak Moskva from AC Sparta Praha, will instead get a first chance to prove himself.

• Czech Republic squad
Goalkeepers: Petr Čech (Chelsea FC), Jan Laštůvka (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk)
Defenders: Zdeněk Pospěch (FC København), Roman Hubník (Hertha BSC Berlin), Michal Kadlec (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Jan Rajnoch (MKE Ankaragücü), Marek Suchý (FC Spartak Moskva), Daniel Pudil (KRC Genk)
Midfielders: Tomáš Rosický (Arsenal FC), Tomáš Hübschman (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Jaroslav Plašil (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Jan Polák (RSC Anderlecht), Jiří Štajner (FC Slovan Liberec), Mario Holek (FC Dnipro Dinpropetrovsk)
Forwards: Milan Baroš (Galatasaray AŞ), Martin Fenin (Eintracht Frankfurt), Roman Bednář (West Bromwich Albion FC), Tomáš Necid (PFC CSKA Moskva)

• Deividas Česnauskis, who was unavailable for the goalless draw against Scotland, misses out again. Lithuania coach Raimondas Žutautas could receive a boost, though, with Marius Žaliūkas and striker Andrius Velička in contention again. "The Czechs play more technical football than the Scots, besides it's an away match so it's always harder,” said midfielder Deividas Šemberas. "We expect a very tough game."

• Lithuania squad
Goalkeepers: Paulius Grybauskas (PFC Neftçi), Giedrius Arlauskis (FC Rubin Kazan), Žydrūnas Karčemarskas (Gaziantepspor)
Defenders: Marius Stankevičius (Valencia CF), Arūnas Klimavičius (FC Sibir Novosibirsk), Tadas Kijanskas (Jagiellonia Białystok), Ramūnas Radavičius (FK Ekranas), Andrius Skerla (Jagiellonia Białystok), Marius Žaliūkas (Heart of Midlothian FC)
Midfielders: Kęstutis Ivaškevičius (Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC), Mindaugas Panka (Widzew Łódź), Deividas Česnauskis (Aris Thessaloniki FC), Edgaras Česnauskis (FC Dinamo Moskva), Deividas Šemberas (PFC CSKA Moskva), Saulius Mikoliūnas (FC Arsenal Kyiv), Vytautas Lukša (FC Arsenal Kyiv), Dominykas Galkevičius (FK Ekranas), Linas Pilibaitis (Győri ETO FC)
Forwards: Darvydas Šernas (Widzew Łódź), Tomas Danilevičius (AS Livorno Calcio), Andrius Velička (Rangers FC) Robertas Poškus (İnter Bakı PİK), Ričardas Beniušis (FK Sūduva).

Match background
• The Czech Republic's record in four matches against Lithuania reads W4 D0 L0 (W3 D0 L0 at home).

• In addition to losing every encounter with their rivals, Lithuania have also been heavily outscored, conceding 13 times and registering just three goals. They have failed to find the net in the last three matches between the teams as well, most recently succumbing to a 2-0 friendly defeat in Prague on 27 May 2008.

• Before that, the Czech Republic seized maximum points when the sides met in UEFA EURO 2000 qualifying, winning 4-0 away and 2-0 at home as they topped Group 9 with a perfect record of ten victories wins from ten games. Lithuania finished fifth in the six-team group with 11 points from ten games.

• Michal Hornák and Patrik Berger grabbed the goals for the Czech Republic in the first match in Teplice on 27 March 1999, the latter via a 74th-minute penalty.

• The return in Vilnius on 4 September the same year was a more one-sided affair, thanks in large part to the 20th-minute dismissal of Edgaras Jankauskas. All the goals came in the second half, with Pavel Nedvěd and Jan Koller each scoring twice for the visitors.

• The first meeting between the two sides took place in Ostrava on 25 May 1994, when the Czech Republic sealed a 5-3 friendly win.