Bílek explains why the Czech U21s couldn't handle Azerbaijan

Czech U21 national team coach Bílek explained his side's underwhelming performance in the qualifying match against Azerbaijan in Baku: the Czechs led thanks to a goal from Filip Lissah, but the hosts equalized before the break, and the visitors couldn't hold on to their advantage. The Czechs now need to beat Bulgaria at home to keep their chances alive for the play-offs of the 2027 European U21 Championship.

Failed to convert their chances

According to Bílek, his players created several clear-cut chances but failed to make the most of them. "We could have settled the outcome in our favor much earlier," the coach said after the match. Yet genuinely clear-cut scoring chances were in short supply for the Czechs. One came in the first half, before Lissah's goal: Lukáš Mašek found himself one-on-one with the Azerbaijani goalkeeper but shot straight at him.

In the second half, Matěj Šín squandered a great opportunity, firing toward the far corner only for the opposing keeper to pull off a spectacular save. After that, the Czechs' attacking play fell apart noticeably. "We kept losing the ball. Toward the end we wanted to push forward more, but it turned into rushed play without composure or preparation. We had pressure, but we couldn't create anything truly dangerous," a disappointed Bílek admitted. Right wing-back Tomáš Jelínek offered a similar assessment: "We had the match under control, but we lacked quality around the opposition's box. We couldn't finish off our chances."

A goal before the break derailed the game

At the stadium of Sabah club in Baku — where Prague's Slavia will soon play in the Champions League — the Czechs led thanks to Lissah's goal. But their opponents equalized at the worst possible moment, in the 45th minute, right before the teams headed to the locker rooms. Hugo Sochůrek and Mikuláš Konečný failed to win a duel with enough effort, and goalkeeper Jan Koutný was left helpless against Eshgin Ahmadov's shot.

"It's unpleasant to concede right before the break. But I don't think we needed to panic. We kept playing our game, it's just that our combinations fell apart and the team got too nervous," the U21 coach said, describing what happened.

A decisive match with Bulgaria lies ahead

Now Bílek's team has no choice but to win their home match against Bulgaria to guarantee a spot in the play-offs for the 2027 European U21 Championship, which will be hosted by Serbia and Albania. "We told the players that a win in Baku could set us up well for this match. It's still in our hands: if we beat Bulgaria, we're through to the play-offs," the coach said reassuringly.

Jelínek is just as determined: "We never want to draw, we always aim for three points. We only want a win over Bulgaria — our mindset hasn't changed."

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz