World Cup qualifying: only win against Northern Ireland will keep slim Czech hopes alive

It will be do or die for the Czech national football team on Monday evening: the squad will have to beat competitors Northern Ireland to keep alive the slimmest of hopes of reaching the World Cup in Russia in 2018. Following a loss against Germany on Friday, the Czechs are currently seven points behind Northern Ireland, who are in second spot.

In order to keep alive their chances, the Czechs need not only to win on Monday night but also to later defeat San Marino and Azerbaijan. At the same time, Northern Ireland would have to lose not only on Monday but also against Germany and Norway for the Czechs to go ahead.

Author: Jan Velinger