PREVIEW: Group A - Czech Republic v Poland

 FOOTBALL - On Saturday, 16 June, Czech Republic and Poland will meet in their Group A encounter at Wroclaw’s Municipal Stadium. It is the 17th match of Euro 2012 and we have assembled some key facts and figures on this match.

> Czech Republic can make absolutely certain of the quarterfinals with a win. A draw combined with a win by Greece over Russia will see the Czechs eliminated (unless the Greece win is by a margin of at least six goals). A Czech draw combined with a Greece failure to win will see the Czechs advance. If the Czechs lose, they will be out. A victory will see the Czechs win the group, unless Russia also beat Greece, in which case the Czech Republic will finish second.

> Poland need a win to reach the quarterfinals. A win by any margin will be enough and anything less than a win will see the hosts eliminated. A win could see Poland finish first in the group, but that would also depend on the outcome in the other match.

> Their last meeting was a World Cup qualifier in October 2009, which the Czechs won 2-0 at home. Tomáš Necid and Jaroslav Plašil were the goalscorers.

> The Czech Republic can reach the quarterfinals of the European Championship for the third time. They have never been knocked out in the last eight KO round. In 1996, they finished runners-up. In 2004, they reached the semifinals.

> Vaclav Pilar has scored in back-to-back Euro matches. He is the first Czech to achieve this since Milan Baroš netted in four successive matches at Euro 2004. That tournament also involved the Czechs’ most recent winning streak in the competition.

> The last time Poland reached the KO phase of a major tournament was at the 1986 World Cup, when they were hammered 4-0 by Brazil in the round of Last 16.

> Poland have started their Euro 2012 campaign with two draws. No team ever recorded three draws in a Euro group phase.