The group stage of Euro-2023 has ended. The playoff matches and the determination of the winners of the continental championship are ahead of us. For domestic fans, the main intrigue is whether the women's national team of Ukraine will be able to repeat or even surpass the best result at the European Championship in its history  - the third place in the debut draw for us in 1993. Another test on the way to the dream will be a confrontation with the Czech team in the 1/8 finals of the competition.

European Championship 2023. Women

1/8 finals. Brussels (Paleis 12). Belgium

August 28. 21:00

Ukraine — Czech Republic

The teams' path to the 1/8 finals

In the first stage of the Euro main draw, Ukraine played in Group A, where its opponents were: Serbia, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, and Slovenia. Having won convincing victories over the last three national teams, the blue-yellow team entered the playoffs in third place.

The results of the Ukrainians' games in group A:

Serbia — Ukraine 3-0 (25:14, 25:19, 25:16)

Ukraine — Hungary 3-0 (25:17, 26:24, 25:17)

Belgium — Ukraine 0-3 (18:25, 23:25, 23:25)

Ukraine — Slovenia 3-1 (19:25, 25:23, 26:24, 25:17)

Poland — Ukraine 3-1 (25:17, 22:25, 25:17, 25:17)

The Czech Republic took the second place in Group C. Despite the initial "easy" failure against Azerbaijan, the Czechs did not lose heart and won the next three matches out of four against Greece, Germany, and Sweden. They suffered the second defeat during this rather successful series against the powerful Turkey.

One of the leaders of the attacks on the Czech national team is the opposite Gabriela Orvošová. It was she who became the best scorer of her team in the final and most important matches against the Germans and Swedes, scoring 24 and 18 points, respectively.

The results of the Czechs in Group C:

Azerbaijan — Czech Republic 3-0 (25:21, 25:10, 25:15)

Greece — Czech Republic 0-3 (21:25, 22:25, 17:25)

Czech Republic — Turkey 1-3 (23:25, 20:25, 25:20, 17:25)

Germany — Czech Republic 2-3 (25:22, 25:23, 24:26, 20:25, 16:18)

Czech Republic — Sweden 3-0 (25:23, 25:20, 25:22)

Previous matches

In recent history, the paths of the teams crossed four times and only within the framework of the European Golden League.

So, in 2019, Ukraine and the Czech Republic got into the same group together with Slovakia and Sweden. That season, the teams exchanged victories (1-3, 3-0). In the end, it was the Czechs who made it to the "final four" and became the winner of the competition.

In this year's European Golden League draw, the national teams met at the semi-final stage. The team of Ivan Petkov fully paid their dues to their opponents, winning twice with a score of 3-0 and 3-1. In the end, it was the blue and yellows who lifted the cherished trophy above their heads. It should be recalled that it was Sweden who we beat in the final.

Roster of the national team of Ukraine:

middle blockers: Svitlana Dorsman, Anastasiia Maievska, Uliana Kotar, Diana Meliushkyna;

setters: Daria Sharhorodska, Viktoriia Oliinyk;

outside hitters: Oleksandra Milenko, Yevheniia Khober, Nadiia Kodola, Yuliia Dymar;

opposites: Viktoriia Danchak, Anastasiia Kraiduba;

liberos: Krystyna Niemtseva, Alika Lutsenko;

head coach: Ivan Petkov.

Roster of the Czech national team:

middle blockers: Magdaléna Jehlářová, Ela Koulisiani, Monika Brancuská, Silvie Pavlova, Elen Jedličková;

setters: Kateřina Pelikánová, Kateřina Valková;

outside hitters: Michaela Mlejnková, Helena Havelkova, Magdalena Bukovská, Eva Hodanova;

opposites: Gabriela Orvosova;

liberos: Veronika Dostalova, Daniela Digrinova;

head coach: Ioannis Athanasopoulos.

Watch the match between the national teams of the Czech Republic and Ukraine on the YouTube channel DIVISPORT.