Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick scored what will surely be the Euro 2020 goal of the tournament in Czech Republic’s 2-0 victory against Scotland on Monday.
After England had beaten Croatia in Group D on Sunday, both sides knew that three points at Hampden Park would be hugely significant in the battle to qualify for the last-16.
Following a relatively even first-half Scotland were dealt a sucker punch on 42 minutes when Bayer Leverkusen winger Schick rose above Grant Hanley and Liam Cooper to plant a header past David Marshall.
But the best was yet to come.
Just a few minutes into the second-half, when Scotland were just looking like getting back into the game, Schick ran onto the ball just past the half-way line and spotted Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall off his line.
(Image: Pool via REUTERS)
He lofted a beautiful curling effort first time which soared over the despairing Marshall’s head and into the net to silence the boisterous Glasgow crowd.
It was an agonising moment for Scotland but an undeniably sensational moment of magic for the Czechs, who reacted deliriously by mobbing Schick in celebration.
And the strike even broke a record, with Opta stating that the distance of 49.7 yards makes it the furthest from which a goal has ever been scored in the European Championships.
A number of high-profile figures reacted to the wondergoal on social media using puns, with Gary Lineker tweeting: “That goal was Schick”, and his fellow BBC presenter Dan Walker adding: “Schick finish! Wonderful second goal for Czech Republic just when Scotland were getting into it.”
Scotland have now been left with a mountain to climb in order to go through the group in their first major tournament finals since 1998.
(Image: PA)
They face the daunting prospect of coming up against England at Wembley on Friday, and then take on Croatia on June 22.
Although there is still a chance to qualify by being one of the best third-place teams, the Czech Republic were arguably Scotland’s greatest opportunity to pick up points, and the fact they could not even get a draw comes as a bitter disappointment.
They were not even particularly outplayed by the Czechs, but were unable to convert their chances when they got them and fell victim to their opponent’s clinical nature.
Nevertheless, they can perhaps take comfort in the fact that arguably no goalkeeper in the world would have been able to save such a stunning effort from Schick, and the 25-year-old is certainly one to keep an eye on for the rest of the tournament.
