match of the day
The first quarter-finalists of Euro 2012 will be known by the end of the night, and Poland will have to win a match for the first time in the European Championships if they are to reach the last eight. This task is by no means unachievable. Although their Czech opponents showed vast signs of improvement in their latest fixture, the goal they handed Greece is a reminder that their defence is still error prone. On the aforementioned occasion, Petr Cech allowed the ball to slip through his fingers leaving Greece's Theofanis Gekas a simple tap-in. It is vital they avoid this kind of defensive error this afternoon.
what to look out for
Expect a great atmosphere to engulf the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw as Poland go all out to secure the win they require. Meanwhile, Russia will likely run rampant against a Greece side who have failed to impress in their opening two fixtures and are lucky to have amassed the one point on which they currently stand.
bet of the day
While Poland may fancy themselves to claim the three points required to progress from Group A, they face a Czech side who have shown improvement since day one. Michal Bilek will likely organise his side defensively on the assumption that Russia will not lose to Greece and, therefore, his side will need no more than a point to progress. With this in mind and the teams fairly evenly balanced, 23/10 seems like good value for Bilek's men to get the point they need to reach the knock-out stages.
star men
The error-prone Petr Cech, which is not something you hear often in a Barclays Premier League season, must up his game if he is to keep out the Polish attack. The Chelsea keeper gifted Greece a goal last Tuesday but will need to return to the form that earned him a world-class reputation if he is to keep out Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski. This Dortmund duo have shown in their opening games that they are the dangermen Poland rely on to see them through, and the players will lead their nation's attacking force again in their most important European Championship tie to date.
numbers game
1 The amount of points needed for Russia to top Group A and allow Czech Republic to follow them in second by also securing a draw. With every team still in contention to reach the knock-out stages, this round should throw up an abundance of goals, as Greece and Poland must chase victory to secure their progression.
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