Former Juventus and Ajax defender Zdenek Grygera expects that Inter will be in for a tough match against a defensively solid opponent when they face Viktoria Plzen in this evening’s Champions League clash.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, Grygera warned that the Nerazzurri’s group stage opponents are a tough nut to crack defensively and have quality on the break, though they are missing one key midfielder in the form of Jan Kopic.
Inter will hardly be going into this evening’s match underestimating their opponent, even if the Czech team are undoubtedly the weakest team on paper in a group which also contains Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Viktoria earned their spot in the group stage with a very impressive qualifying campaign, and in Grygera’s view they know how to play in matches like these and give teams like Inter a very difficult time.
He stated that Viktoria have “Compactness and very solid defense, quick counters. Much of the game revolves around Chory, their striker who just scored a brace in the league, although he is a doubt with a slight injury.”
He noted that “Kopic is out, who’s one of the best players in the team, while captain Hejda is the defensive leader, also important for his charisma.”
“Keep an eye on Mosquera, a Colombian who, when he’s on his day, can be dangerous on the left wing,” Grygera continued. “On the other hand, there’s an experienced player like Sikora who, even with the national team, is used to a certain stage.”
“In midfield, they have players with good energy and technique,” he added. “But for someone like Bucha, in the middle, it will be a lot tough from a physical point of view, given the dynamism of the Inter players. “
