| The Czechs are certainly well-packed in certain positions. This applies both to the centre-forward position with Patrick Schick and to the leading roles in midfield and defence played by the two West Ham professionals Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal. These are certainly three world-class players, but that's about it. One problem with this national team is the squad depth, which leaves something to be desired. The defense line in particular consists almost exclusively of players from the domestic league. Meanwhile, the North Macedonians are no longer the same stubborn opponent that surprisingly prevented the defending champions from participating in the World Cup two years ago. They have lost their self-confidence, and the latest international results also show that the Balkan footballers are now miles away from victories like those they once had over Germany and Italy. North Macedonia has only scored one goal away from home in its last ten friendlies recording 4 draws and 6 defeats. |
