Opponents underline Czech threat

Impressive pedigree
France are four-times winners of the old Under-18 championship, the forerunner to this event, and eliminated holders Spain in the qualifying round. Michal Bílek's Czech side, meanwhile, defeated last year's beaten finalists, Germany, and have an impressive recent pedigree of their own, having finished runners-up two summers ago and semi-finalists in 2000.

Czechs earn praise
That is not all - if the praise of opponents was worth points, the Czechs would already be in the semi-finals. Austria coach Paul Gludovatz has nominated them as group favourites and France coach René Girard spoke admiringly of their performance in a goalless draw with the French earlier this year.

Kick-off at 20.10
"We faced them recently in a friendly in Meaux and they represent the top level in Europe," he said. "They perform strongly and consistently for 90 minutes and it very hard to move them out of their positions." The match will kick off at 20.10CET, ten minutes later than originally scheduled, after an agreement with the television broadcaster Eurosport.

Austria end long wait
Of his other Group B opponents, Girard said: "England's football is direct and physical, we know them very well. Austria seem a level below but we must be wary." These two sides meet in the day's other fixture at 18.30CET in Schaan, a match which, for the Austrians, will mark the end of a 21-year wait.

Nothing to fear
Not since 1982 have Austria reached the final round of this tournament. Yet their coach, Gludovatz, insisted his players had nothing to fear: "All of our opponents have already managed to win this tournament previously but what gives us hope is the fact that in the past months we have beaten nations like Germany and Belgium away from home and overcame favourites Serbia and Montenegro in the qualification tournament.

England qualified in style
"My players are able to give their best once competition is in progress and we also have many players, who are able to decide a game on their own." Still, they can expect anything but a gentle introduction against Stuart Baxter's England side, who won all six of their qualifying matches without conceding a goal.