Ladislav Krejci and Czechia’s World Cup hopes were handed a blow after a shock defeat to the Faroe Islands.
The Wolves man played 90 minutes as his nation lost 2-1 in Group L of World Cup qualifiers.
The defender has been a revelation for both club and country over the last few months. Following Czechia’s last game against Croatia, fans claimed Krejci should captain the national team.
Additionally, the media praised the player for his performance against Luka Modric.
The Czech media have now returned to deliver their verdict on Krejci in the unexpected defeat.
Ladislav Krejci not at his best versus the Faroe Islands
Ladislav Krejci was not awful against the Faroe Islands, but it was not his best either.
The Czech ratings are out of five, with the best being given one. The Wolves man was on the lower end of the scale.
Sport.cz gave him a four-match rating and said, “In the first half, he committed a foul near the centre circle and received a yellow card. As the game went on, he moved forward. He cared about how the match was developing.
“Without him winning that duel, Karabec’s goal wouldn’t have happened. But he too bore some guilt for the winning goal scored by the Faroese.”
Additionally, Blesk also handed him a four, saying, “When the Czech team was already in trouble, he set up Karabec’s goal after a cross from Beran. But it was all for nothing.”
It was not an ideal result for Krejci and the Czech national team. It now leaves them in danger of missing out on the 2026 World Cup entirely, but the odds are in their favour.
Ladislav Krejci and Czechia should get World Cup play-off
Group L in World Cup qualifying is incredibly tight, with just one point separating the Faroe Islands and Czechia for second place.
The second-place team will go into a play-off to make the tournament in North America.
Both sides have just one game left; however, Krejci’s nation is in the better position. A win in the final group game will secure that play-off spot, and the last fixtures are incredibly kind.
Krejci will face off against Gibraltar at home, who have not won a single game in the group.
Meanwhile, the Faroe Islands take on group leaders Croatia away from home. All signs point to Krejci securing second place, but you never know in football.