Spain aim to slow Czech momentum

After drawing their opening Group B game, Spain will be aiming for a maximum points haul by embellishing their impressive record against the Czech Republic in Wednesday's UEFA European Under-21 Championship match-up.

• The Czechs are the early group leaders thanks to their 2-1 defeat of Ukraine in Viborg on Sunday. Spain conceded a late goal as they were held 1-1 by England in Herning later the same day.

• The teams have met in five competitive U21 fixtures with Spain recording four wins and a draw. This game is their first meeting since a 1-1 draw in Trencin on 27 May 2000.

• At U19 level, the sides drew 1-1 in 2002 but more recently Spain won 5-1 in Tallinn two years ago. Óscar Sielva, Joselu and Fran Mérida put Luis Milla's side 3-0 up and although Milan Mišůn pulled a goal back, Daniel Aquino and Iago Falqué completed a resounding victory.

• The teams for that game on 21 May 2009 were:
Spain: De Gea, Mario, Morgado, Pulido, Rochela, Camacho, Jordi Pablo (Monje 60), Sielva, Joselu (Aquino 69), Mérida (Alcántara 87), Falqué.
Czech Republic: Hladký, Nitrianský, Sus, Čmovš, Folprecht, Hejda, Doležal (Tecl 58), Šural, Mišůn, Navrátil (Balcar 78), Petr.

• The sides have met four times at U17 level, Spain winning on three occasions (4-1 in 2002, 4-0 in 2004, 1-0 in 2009) but losing 2-0 to Jakub Dovalil's side in the semi-finals of the 2006 European Championship in Luxembourg. Then Jan Vošahlík and Tomáš Pekhart scored the goals either side of Roberto García's dismissal.

• The teams for that game on 11 May 2006 were:
Spain: Asenjo, Soria, Roberto García, Camacho, Gullón (Raúl Baena 41), Ñíguez (Hermosa 41), Vergara (Castellano 41), Ortiz, Rubén Ramos, Savall, Bojan.
Czech Republic: Štěch, Mazuch, Polák, Zeman (Holek 80+3), Hable, Vácha, Vošahlík, Pekhart, Řezník, Heidenreich, Wojnar.

• Olympique de Marseille's César Azpilicueta scored an own goal to give Marek Suchý's FC Spartak Moskva a 1-0 win in last September's UEFA Champions League Group F encounter between the sides.

• The players came face to face again in the return fixture two months later, Didier Deschamps's Marseille side gaining revenge with a 3-0 win in Moscow.

• Spain coach Milla featured as a player in a 1-0 international friendly win against Czechoslovakia in 1990 and received his only red card in UEFA competition when Real Madrid CF drew 1-1 at SK Sigma Olomouc in the first leg of a UEFA Cup quarter-final on 4 March 1992. The Merengues advanced to the last four thanks to a 1-0 second-leg win.

• The Czechs' record in 14 senior internationals against Spain reads W8 D1 L5, though they have not won in their last four meetings, which include all three games since the break-up of Czechoslovakia.

• Spain were 2-1 victors when they met the Czech Republic in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying on 25 March this year. The sides will cross paths again in the Czech Republic on 7 October.

• Czech Republic news

• Carlsberg Sport Man of the Match and captain Bořek Dočkal scored twice in the first 11 minutes of the second half as Jakub Dovalil's men registered a 2-1 opening win against Ukraine in Viborg on Sunday. Maxym Biliy set up a tense finish by reducing the deficit three minutes from time.

• Pekhart, Jan Morávek, Marcel Gecov and Lukáš Vácha were booked against Ukraine, and will miss the Czechs' third group game against England if they receive a yellow card on Wednesday.

• Goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík, who has just won promotion to the Czech top flight with FK Viktoria Žižkov, said he had not been able to sleep prior to the game against Ukraine. He added he had had a restless night prior to the Czech Republic's 3-0 win against Greece in the first leg of the play-off to reach the finals.

• Vácha left the Viborg Stadion with his left knee heavily strapped, but is expected to be fit. Morávek, who came off the bench at half-time against Ukraine, said he is still not fully fit after suffering a thigh injury late in the German domestic season.

• Milan Černý clashed heads with Tomáš Hořava in training on Monday – Hořava emerged unscathed, but Černý remained at the hotel as the rest of the squad were received by Viborg's mayor on Monday afternoon. The midfielder is expected to be available to play, though.

• In scoring twice against Ukraine, Dočkal triggered a promise from his father to give up smoking. After the FC Slovan Liberec midfielder scored twice in his country's 8-0 victory against Liechtenstein in 2007, Dočkal Sr promised he would quit smoking when his son repeated the feat.

• Danish Crown Prince Frederik welcomed the Czech team to Viborg at a dinner on Friday.

• The squad arrived in Viborg last Thursday and were delighted to hear the popular Czech football song Zelená je tráva (The pitch is green) playing as they entered their hotel.

• Spain news

• Ander Herrera's second U21 goal gave Spain a 14th-minute lead against England, but Danny Welbeck equalised with two minutes remaining.

• Thiago Alcántara was named Carlsberg Sport Man of the Match against England. He and Ander received yellow cards, so will miss the third group match against Ukraine if booked against the Czechs.

• Ander limped away from the Herning Stadion, but is expected to play. Juan Mata and Thiago both shook off problems to play against England, while Iker Muniain, who was an unused substitute in the opening game, has recovered from illness.

• After the game against England, the team opted to relax in a spa in Herning before returning to training on Monday afternoon.

• Fernando Hierro, the former Real Madrid CF player and sports director of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), was in Herning to watch the game against England, and will remain in Denmark to support Milla's team throughout the tournament.

• Milla's squad arrived last Wednesday in Silkeborg, their base for the finals, after a nine-day training camp at Las Rozas.

• After the match against England, Javi Martínez emphasised the problems that Spain can have against physical opponents: "The English are very strong. We know that to be champions, we have to play five finals. The first was against England, and now we have another on Wednesday against the Czech Republic, who will be a very tough opponents and very physical ones."