Unlike the Scandinavian national teams, which openly ignored the principle of sportsmanship in their match against each other, the Czech team found another, more honest way to keep one of the tournament favorites – the German team – out of the ¼ finals, by defeating the Bundesteam 2:1 and closing the door to the quarterfinals before them. The Czech team played practically with their second squad from the first minutes of the meeting with Germany. Neither Nedvěd, nor Koller, nor Rosický, nor Jankulovski, nor Šmicer, nor Baroš appeared on the field in the starting lineup. As it turned out later, with the current German national team, which most German experts predicted would fail at Euro 2004, one can play even with such a lineup.
And although the Czech Republic, which had reserved its place in the quarterfinals already after the first two rounds, in this game did not care at all about the result of the match with Germany, the intrigue in this match did not disappear for a moment. In the 4th minute, only Kahn's superb reaction saves the German national team from a goal after Jankulovski's shot.
The Germans had their first goal-scoring opportunity already in the 18th minute when, after a shot from outside the penalty area by Ballack, the ball nearly ended up in the net. Just a minute later, the Czechs' luck ran out. Ballack from the corner of the penalty area with a powerful and beautiful shot under the crossbar makes the score 1:0. But the music did not play for long in the German fans' sector. Heinz created his own mini-masterpiece, which along with Ballack's goal can boldly contend for the best goal of the group stage. The Czech player, taking a free kick from about 23 meters, hit the near top corner of Kahn's goal, equalizing the score in the duel.
The second half of the game further cemented the German team's helplessness before the Czechs, who were reinforced by Baroš and Rosický being brought on. The second half of the match began with a shot on Kahn's goal, tested by Lokvenc – the goalkeeper turned out to be fine. Subsequently, the players of the German national team seized the initiative in play, managing to squander several 100% chances to score against Blažek. The most realistic of them came in the 65th minute involving Ballack, who after feinting past a defender hit the post, and the follow-up shot by Schneider practically into an empty net was somehow miraculously saved by the goalkeeper. A few minutes later the Czechs were lucky again after Schneider headed the ball toward goal, and his shot whistled over the crossbar. Another German attack also should have ended in a goal. Thus, after Wörns' shot, Hübschman cleared the ball already from an empty goal, and Blažek reacted to Podolski's follow-up.
The Germans also had a chance to take the lead in this game from a penalty. Thus, in one moment the ball hit Mareš's hand, but the referee remained silent, and toward the end of the game Blažek brazenly pushed Schneider away with his hands, but this also passed for the Czechs.
But if the Germans "forgave" their opponents in this game, then in the 78th minute the Czechs did not forgive either Kahn or the two defenders who unsuccessfully tried to prevent Baroš from scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in this encounter. Baroš, entering the German penalty area, dribbled past Nowotny and Wörns and came face to face with Kahn. The "Bayern" goalkeeper saved the Czech's first shot with his leg in a split, but the ball again as if magnetized came to Baroš, who on the second attempt was more accurate 2:1. It was the 78th minute of the game and the Germans seemed to understand their doom, especially since in terms of play, scoring two goals against the Czechs would have been a miracle for Völler's team, and the Germans at this championship did not look like miracle-workers.
Group D
Germany – Czech Republic – 1:2 Goals: Ballack 21 – Heinz 30, Baroš 77 Germany: Kahn, Friedrich, Wörns, Nowotny, Lahm, Frings (Podolski 46), Hamann (Klose 79), Schneider, Schweinsteiger (Jeremies 86), Ballack, Kurányi Czech Republic: Blažek, Mareš, Rozehnal, Bolf, Jiránek, Plašil (Poborský 70), Týce, Galásek (Hübschman 46), Vachoušek, Heinz, Lokvenc (Baroš 59).