Czechs face the Netherlands with history on their side
Memphis Depay, who will join Barcelona in a few days, has been integral to the Dutch's stroll through the group stage, scoring twice and setting up yet another as the Oranje racked up a perfect nine points and scored eight goals in three games. "Memphis is a guy of whom I see a specific focus and conviction, a have to show what he has and can to be the very best within team where he plays," Ruud van Nistelrooy, an assistant to coach Frank de Boer, heaped praise on Memphis Depay. The Czech Republic , however, will enter tonight's game against the Netherlands as the odds-on favourites, at least when it comes to the annals of their head-to-head encounters.
Since the Czech Republic emerged as an unbiased state in 1993, its national team has won five games and lost three against the Dutch, on top of three draws. Before that, Czechoslovakia memorably beat the Netherlands on the way to their only European Championship title in Belgrade in 1976.
