Match Report
6 points and 72 places separated them: Czech Republic 95th with 0, Northern Ireland 23rd with 6. The last five rounds placed Czech Republic no better than 149th for form, against 95th in the standings. Scoring rates set the scale: Czech Republic 1.5 scored and 3 conceded per game, Northern Ireland 2 and 1, with the league averaging 1.26.
Epet Arena staged the fixture, a ground that holds 18,887. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Northern Ireland led 3-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 2-3.
Goal scorers
Czech Republic: Vladimir Darida (67'), Alex Kral (68') · Northern Ireland: Paddy McNair (9'), Jonny Evans (23'), Paddy McNair (40')
Key stats
Possession: Czech Republic 65% · Northern Ireland 35% · Total shots: 14-7 · On target: 6-5 · Corners: 10-2