In a battle between two Group A heavyweights, tournament favourites Portugal will take on the Czech Republic in Geneva. A win for either team would almost certainly guarantee them a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament, with both having taken three points from their opening games.

Portugal put an impressive display against Turkey,and Scolari is unlikely to tinker with that lineup. That would mean Pepe partners Carvalho, with Moutinho getting the nod ahead of Veloso. Portugal may choose to play more along the ground, given that the Czechs are tall and physical and are likely to have an advantage in the air. Cristiano Ronaldo’s set pieces vs Petr Cech is one clash we are looking forward to. Portugal will look to give the Czechs as little space as possible. Jan Koller will be hungry for goals in his last international tournament having had a poor game, and Pepe and Carvalho will have to shoulder the task of marking him. Deco was extremely impressive in midfield against Turkey. Ronaldo, Gomes and Simao will be keen to add their names to the scoresheet.

Czech Republic were ordinary against Switzerland. Against a better team, they would not have come out of the game with three points as they did on Saturday in Basel. Karel Bruckner is hinting at changes in the forward line, which means we may see Euro 2004’s top scorer Milan Baros in action. The question however would be whom to replace ? David Jarolim may be sitting on the bench after the return to fitness for Matjevosky. The Czech midfield, once its strength, was off colour against the Swiss. The absence of Rosicky and Nedved has hit them hard, but they must fire in order to counter the flair of the Portuguese. Cech will have to be at his best as usual, and Popesch and Jankulovski will be up against Ronaldo and Simao respectively.

Portugal will probably end up being too hot to handle for the Czechs. Unless they put up a vastly improved performance from last time, one cannot see the Czechs winning this. However, they do have a great history at the European Championships, and fans will be counting on them to beat Portugal and spring an upset. 1-0 to Portugal with Ronaldo scoring.

The biggest football tournament in Europe kicks off today with hosts Switzerland taking on the Czech Republic in the city of Basel. While one would say that the Czechs are the favourites given their home advantage, the absence of star playmaker Tomas Rosicky will hit them hard.

Pavel Nedved decided not to come out of retirement, and without him, Nedved and Poborsky, one wonders whether the Czech midfield is the same. And against the Swiss, who tend to be very compact defensively, the killer pass that the likes of a Nedved or Rosicky can create may be required. The Czechs did not live up to their reputation at the 2006 World Cup, making an unceremonious first round exit. Karel Bruckner and his boys will want to show that the team is still capable of competing for the title in the absence of ”Little Mozart “. Jan Koller could be the sole man upfront if Bruckner chooses to go with a 4-5-1. Libor Sionko impressed when the Czechs beat Scotland 3-1 in a friendly, and is pushing for a first team spot. Don’t forget Milan Baros- the top scorer in the last edition of the tournament. In midfield, the likes of David Jarolim, Matejovsky, Plasil and Galasek will look to make up for Rosicky’s absence. Zdenek Popesch is ruled out of this game with a virus, but left back Marek Jankulovski and centreback Tomas Ujfalusi have been proclaimed fit. David Rozenhal should partner Ujfalusi, with Grygera taking the right back spot. Petr Cech will be an imposing presence in goal.

Switzerland need to start this tournament well. They went out of the 2006 World Cup without conceding a goal- very rarely do you get to see something like that happening. Veteran Patrick Mueller should partner Arsenal’s Senderos in defence, and both have their task cut out against the hefty Jan Koller. Tranquillo Barnetta is Switzerland’s Nedved, with his creativity an important factor in the attacking moves of the Swiss. He could play either on the wing or in the centre.Manchester City’s Gelson Fernandes gets an opportunity to showcase his talent on the world stage in the absence of players like Raphael Wicky and Johann Vogel. Alexander Frei, Switzerland’s all time top scorer, will prowl for goals upfront alongside Basel’s Marco Streller.

The last time these two sides met, the Czechs ran out 3-0 winners, but that was in 1999. And with this being the opening game, both teams will want the best possible start. A 1-0 or 2-0 looks likely for the Czechs, with Koller and Plasil/Sionko on the scoresheet.