Czech Republic turn shootout heroes to qualify for World Cup & break Denmark hearts

[p]After claiming a dramatic penalty shootout victory over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/6LHwBDGU/"]Republic of Ireland[/a] five days ago, the Czechs hosted a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/0KUdxQVi/"]Denmark[/a] team that swatted aside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/north-macedonia/GrTQ3oHB/"]North Macedonia[/a] in swashbuckling fashion.[/p][p]The hosts’ FIFA ranking of 43rd, 23 places lower than the Danes, made Miroslav Koubek’s side the underdogs, but they showed their bite early on here when taking a third-minute lead.[/p][p][b]Vladimír Coufal's corner was cleared into the path of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sulc-pavel/dYaeeH8k/"]Pavel Šulc[/a], who fired home a wonderful right-footed strike from the edge of the area, which flew past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hermansen-mads/fq8hQjAg/"]Mads Hermansen[/a].[/b][/p][p]Denmark’s response to falling behind so early was encouraging, though, as Rasmus Højlund forced Matěj Kovář into action at his near post, before the shot-stopper made a fine stop to parry over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isaksen-gustav/d0vohCHH/"]Gustav Isaksen[/a]'s dipping free-kick.[/p][p]Brian Riemer’s men were continuing to dominate possession as the half wore on, but they were almost undone at the end of a blistering counter-attack when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/provod-lukas/82A7cLmi/"]Lukáš Provod[/a] latched onto Šulc’s sublime through ball, seeing him dink an effort that was diverted just past the far post by Hermansen.[/p][p]The Czechs remained resolute in their shape after the restart, looking to grind their way towards a famous victory against a Denmark team seemingly running out of answers in a bid to keep their own WC dream alive.[/p][p][b]However, they restored parity via a set piece with 72 minutes on the clock when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andersen-joachim/AmMLTTJU/"]Joachim Andersen[/a] outjumped Kovář from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/damsgaard-mikkel/WIxH5hxa/"]Mikkel Damsgaard[/a]’s delivery to power home a bullet header, breaking the hosts’ stubborn resistance.[/b][/p][image alt="Czech Republic - Denmark - Player Ratings" id="1fa75279-63fa-4e30-9a31-1b52951bfe9f" credit-line="Flashare" guid="596a8c36-ca64-42e9-8d55-ad8da8c120ec" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Riemer’s men were camped inside the Czech half in a bid to score a potentially decisive second, and Damsgaard almost provided it in emphatic fashion when his long-range strike sailed inches past the post.[/p][p]De Rød-Hvide continued to press for a winner in the closing stages, but the game went into ET with the goal being the Danes’ only shot on target of the second period.[/p][p]Their lack of attacking creativity would prove to be very costly, as the Epet ARENA erupted into raptures with a second Czech goal 10 minutes after the restart.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soucek-tomas/8zWzYFRF/"]Tomáš Souček[/a] made a nuisance of himself inside the box from Coufal's cross, and the ball fell kindly for captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krejci-ladislav/nZ8SVvvE/"]Ladislav Krejčí[/a] to fire home a deflected strike past Hermansen. [/b][/p][p]But just when the hosts looked to be edging their way to the finals, Riemer’s team hit back to restore parity once again.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hogh-kasper/2F4SDVzP/"]Kasper Høgh[/a] met [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dreyer-anders/SIB5MJNd/"]Anders Dreyer[/a]’s corner with a stunning header to score his first senior international goal, deflating the atmosphere of a partisan crowd, and ultimately sending the contest to a penalty shootout.[/b][/p][p]Momentum shifted in favour of the hosts when Højlund hit the bar, and after Dreyer and Mathias Jensen both also failed to convert from 12 yards, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sadilek-michal/zJiFbA7r/"]Michal Sadílek[/a] converted the decisive spot-kick to start the party.[/p][p]This will go down as one of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/czech-republic-6LHwBDGU/denmark-0KUdxQVi/?mid=zP64Ye2M"]finest results[/a] in the Czech Republic’s recent footballing history, with Šulc, Souček, and Krejčí emulating the class of 2006, including [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cech-petr/fTjQ34vo/"]Petr Cech[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rosicky-tomas/v50zQruO/"]Tomáš Rosicky[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nedved-pavel/d2Sx7KDN/"]Pavel Nedvěd[/a], in representing the national team at the WC. They will now join a group consisting of co-hosts Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea at the finals.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sulc-pavel/dYaeeH8k/"]Flashscore Man of the Match: Pavel Sulc (Czech Republic)[/a][/h2]