According to offensive all-rounder Adam Hložek, one of the keys to success in Friday’s European Championship qualifier in Poland will be for the Czech footballers to be able to control the opponent’s biggest star, Robert Lewandowski.
He still considers the 35-year-old Barcelona gunner to be one of the best strikers in the world. At the same time, Hložek admitted in a video interview for the media from FAČR that he is struggling with the current smaller workload in Leverkusen. Nevertheless, the twenty-one-year-old attacker tries to behave professionally in order to get a chance at least in the cups.
Lewandowski missed the Poles in October due to injury, but returned to the national team for the November program. The star gunner has scored 81 goals in 144 matches for the national team and is unquestionably the best scorer in his country.
“I see him as one of the best strikers in the world. I think he shows that every year when he always scores 20 or more goals. It will be very important for us to prepare for this player and prevent him from scoring those goals,” he said Hložek before the early evening departure of the national team to Warsaw.
Before the final matches of the qualifying group, the Czech team holds the progressive second place behind the leader Albania and can definitely secure participation in next year’s championship in Germany already on Friday. But he needs to win in Warsaw and at the same time hope that Moldova does not beat the Albanians at home on the same day. Regardless of the other results, a win in the last group match at home against Moldova would send the Czech Republic to the final tournament.
“We are definitely going to Poland for three points. We know how the cards are played. Now we have two important matches waiting for us, with which we can end it and take the last step to the Euros,” Hložek declared.
In the first duel in the group, the Czechs beat Poland 3:1 at home at the start of the group in March, after already leading 2:0 in the third minute. “We can definitely take something from that match. We know it’s a great team, great players from great clubs. We also know they’ve changed their coach. Maybe their tactics will be different, maybe they’ll prepare differently for us. That’s up to to our implementation team to prepare us for it. And then it’s up to us, the players, to give the best performance,” said Hložek.
At the beginning of the season, the workload at the club is lower. In the 11 rounds of the German league so far, he has not started for Leverkusen, the undefeated leader of the table, even once in the starting line-up. From the beginning, he only got a chance in the domestic cup and the Europa League.
“We are undefeated in 17 (competitive) games, we are doing well. I know that the minutes are not ideal for me. It is difficult for me in this. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything, because we are winning and the results are coming,” said Hložek. “Of course, I try to behave professionally and work in training so that I get minutes at least in those cups,” added the former Sparta Prague player.
2023-11-15 16:55:39
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