Czechs confident of staying in the hunt

The mood in the Czech Republic camp may have been bleak after Thursday's late heartbreak but Jiří Kladrubský and Daniel Pudil are convinced their side can still reach the UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-finals.

Late heartbreak
Ladislav Škorpil's side looked set to earn a second successive goalless draw as their Group B game with Serbia drew to a close, only for Boško Janković to strike with seconds remaining to leave the Czechs bottom of the section. "That was tough to take," defender Kladrubský told uefa.com. "We would have been happy with a draw but we couldn't hold on and it's a terrible result for us. If we'd have got a point that would have made our position in the group a lot stronger, but that happens in football. The mood was very bad immediately after the game, but we have to forget that and look to get through."

'Happy ending'
The atmosphere in the Czech camp the morning after the game was surprisingly upbeat, with the players enjoying a light-hearted training session at Groesbeek before a trip into Nijmegen. Victory against Italy is essential if the Czechs are to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals and, with the Azzurrini also likely to need three points, an unusually open encounter is on the cards. "Italy will be on a high having come back from 2-0 down to draw with England, but they're in the same position as us," midfielder Pudil told uefa.com. "We'll have to defend well and look to score. That's all we can do; then we have to wait on the second result. Italy will want to win as much as us, it will be a great match for the fans and we just have to hope it has a happy ending for us."

'About us'
Even victory against Italy would not be enough if England overcome Serbia, but both Kladrubský and Pudil are keen for the Czechs to concentrate on their own match. "We realise it's not in our hands now but we must focus on the Italy game," said Kladrubský. "We can't worry about the other result, it's about us; we have to play well, press forward, create chances and make sure we win. Then we'll see. Both teams are playing to stay in the tournament so we'll have to give 150 per cent. The first goal will be crucial, it will give whoever scores a big advantage and they could well go on to win the game."

'Olympic inspiration'
Even if the Czechs lose out to England in the battle for the semi-finals, there might still be a silver lining in the shape of a potential play-off for next year's Olympic Games which a win at the Gelredome will guarantee at the very least. "We've still got lots to play for and we have to use that as an inspiration," Pudil said. "We have a decent chance to play in the Olympic Games, so we have to prepare as best we can to win the game. Everything could have changed by Sunday night."