Israel vs Czechia facts

Israel and Czechia conclude their UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group C campaigns at the Shengelia Arena in Kutaisi with a place in the quarter-finals on the line in what is the sides' first ever competitive meeting.

Czechia hold the upper hand as they are second in the section on three points, three behind Group C winners England. After a 2-0 loss to England in their opening fixture, they responded with a 2-1 defeat of holders Germany, Martin Vitík scoring with a deflected winner three minutes from time after Václav Sejk's 33rd-minute opener had been cancelled out.

Israel held Germany 1-1 in their first game but then went down 2-0 against England to slip to the bottom of the table, level with Germany on one point but below them on goal difference.

While Israel have failed to progress from the group stage on both of their previous finals appearances, their Czech opponents will be hoping to end a run of three successive group eliminations.

Czechia will go through if they avoid defeat. Israel will go through if they win and Germany do not beat England on Matchday 3. If Israel and Germany both win, they would be split for second place on overall goal difference, then overall goals scored, then disciplinary points, then coefficients.

Previous meetings

This is the sides' first European U21 Championship fixture.

Indeed, their only meeting at this level came on 6 August 1997, Czechia recording a 3-1 friendly victory at the Městský stadion in Čelákovice thanks to goals from Jiří Jarošík (36), Patrik Siegl (86) and Michal Nehoda (90).

Form guide

Israel

Israel are making their third finals appearance and a first since hosting the event in 2013 when, as on their 2007 debut, they were unable to progress from the initial group stage.

Having lost all three of their games in 2007, that 2013 tournament represented Israel's most successful finals campaign. As hosts, they finished third in Group A on four points, recording their only win on Matchday 3 with a 1-0 defeat of England.

Israel finished second behind Germany in qualifying Group B for the 2023 finals, winning six of their ten matches. Alon Hazan oversaw the initial eight games but took over the senior national side in May 2022, Guy Luzon returning to the post he had left in 2013 to take charge for the final two qualifiers and the play-off against the Republic of Ireland, which Israel won 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw (1-1 a, 0-0 h).

Fourteen different players found the net for Israel in qualifying, Omri Gandelman finishing as top scorer with three goals. Dor Turgeman, who did not feature during the qualifying campaign, made it 15 in the competition overall with his goal on Matchday 1 against Germany.

Israel have now failed to score in five of their eight matches at the U21 finals, managing just four goals and conceding 15.

Czechia

This is Czechia's ninth final tournament appearance, and a fourth in five editions of the competition. Semi-finalists in 2011 and runners-up in 2000, they were champions in 2002, beating France on penalties in the final with a team including Petr Čech, Zdeněk Grygera, Tomáš Hübschman and Milan Baroš.

In addition, Czechoslovakia were losing quarter-finalists on six occasions.

The Czechs' 2021 campaign failed to extend beyond the group stage, a side coached by Karel Krejčí finishing third in Group B after 1-1 draws against Italy and co-hosts Slovenia were followed by a 2-0 defeat against Spain.

This time round, with Jan Suchopárek having replaced Krejčí as head coach, Czechia finished second behind England in Group G, winning seven of their ten matches and losing only away (1-3) and at home (1-2) against the section winners. That sent them into a play-off against Iceland, the Czechs winning 2-1 in the away first leg and holding on to progress by the same aggregate score.

Daniel Fila, Adam Karabec and Sejk were Czechia's joint top scorers in qualifying with four goals each.

The Matchday 2 defeat of Germany ended Czechia's five-game run without a win at the U21 finals (D2 L3), since a 3-1 victory against Italy on Matchday 2 of the 2017 tournament. Indeed their last three wins at the finals have all come in their second group game, the other a 4-0 defeat of Serbia in 2015.

Czechia were also only the second team to beat Germany in their last 21 U21 EURO qualifying and final tournament matches (W15 D4).

Links and trivia

David Pech was a second-half substitute as Czechia beat Israel 1-0 in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship elite round on 20 March 2019. Substitute Ethane Azoulay featured for Israel.