Tall order for bitter Czechs against favourites France

Goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek went so far as to suggest there was a high-level conspiracy against the less fashionable nations to ensure they did not make the quarter-finals, citing the even more dubious penalty awarded to Italy against Turkey as further evidence.

What is certain, however, is that the East Europeans face a monumental task in trying to contain a France side widely regarded as the most impressive team in the first round of group matches. The electric pace of Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka caused havoc in Denmark’s defence as the World Cup holders romped to a 3-0 victory with room to spare and bookmakers quickly installed Roger Lemerre’s side as the new favourites.

Their best hope of containing France’s formidable frontline is to stifle the service to them from the midfield or to go for all-out attack, forcing the French on to the back foot. But without their most creative player Patrik Berger and defender Radoslav Latal, who are both suspended, their hopes look slim against a France side lacking any discernible weakness.

Berger has been forced to sit out the first two games of Euro 2000 after being sent off in the qualifiers against the Faroe Islands, while Latal was shown the red card for comments he made while sitting on the Czech bench after being substituted on Sunday. The Czech cause has not been helped by an injury to Pavel Nedved, their influential all-round midfielder, who is undergoing intensive treatment in a desperate race to be fit for Friday.

The Lazio player, outstanding against Holland, took an ankle knock in his side’s bruising opener against the Dutch. "We need to beat France if we want to stay in the tournament, and in my opinion, they are the best team here," said Chovanec. The Czechs, however, do have a deadly, not-so-secret in the gigantic form of their centre-forward Jan Koller, one of the revelations of the international scene over the last 12 months.

Koller, who has vowed to score against the French, has scored 13 goals in 15 games since making his debut in February last year. At just over two metres (6ft, 8in) and 100kg, the Anderlecht striker is a formidable challenge for central defenders and Marcel Desailly and Laurent Blanc will have to be at their best — and their bravest — if they are to get the better of the man known as `The Dinosaur’.

"That’s two matches now in which I have failed to score. So I think I will get one against France," Koller said on Wednesday.

France, in contrast to their opponents, are untroubled by injuries and suspensions and are likely to field the same side that lit up Bruges on Sunday and left 11 Danes chasing shadows for 90 minutes.