Group A at Euro 2012 is likely to see yet more twists and turns as the Czech Republic take on the inspired co-hosts Poland on Saturday.
With Russia facing Greece in the other game, both teams go into the match in Wroclaw knowing a victory will see them through to the quarter-finals and keep alive their dreams of European Championship glory.
After a disappointing start to the tournament, the Czechs now appear to have found their form and produced a superb first half of free-flowing football as they defeated Greece in their second game of the tournament.
However, there were certainly times when they looked shaky, most notably at the back where Michal Bilek has been forced to rearrange his rearguard due to both injuries and poor form.
The unfamiliarity will surely mean that Chelsea shot-stopper Petr Cech will be regularly called upon on Saturday and he’ll be desperate to make amends, after his mix-up with Tomas Sivok allowed the Greeks back into the game on Tuesday.
The Poles came into the competition as the lowest-ranked side but have punched above their weight and now stand on the brink of qualifying for their first ever European Championship quarter-final.
Franciszek Smuda’s men disappointingly drew their opening game against Greece, despite getting off to the perfect start by taking the lead early on, but they showed their resilience on Tuesday, coming back from a goal behind to seal a famous draw against Russia to set up the showdown with the Czechs.
The hero that night was undoubtedly captain Jakub Blaszczykowski whose wonderful equaliser in Warsaw gave his side renewed hope after all looked lost.
The captain is one third of a trio of Borussia Dortmund players, alongside Robert Lewandowski and Lukas Piszczek, who have continued their Bundesliga form into the tournament and carried their country towards the knockout stages.
Their performances will be vital to any chance the Poles have of succeeding and look for Blaszczykowski to try and drag his side over the line.
This looks almost too tight to call and will certainly be a cagey affair. With the game being played less than an hour from the Czech border, it’s also going to be a vibrant atmosphere and both teams will certainly not be able to complain about a lack of support from their fans.
However, home advantage often counts for so much at these tournaments and the inspired Poles may just sneak through to the quarter-finals, but only by a single goal.
