Czechs face Netherlands with history on their side

Memphis Depay, who will join Barcelona next week, has been integral to the Dutch's stroll through the group stage, scoring twice and setting up one more as the Oranje racked up a perfect nine points and scored eight goals in three games.  "Memphis is a guy of whom I see a specific focus and conviction, a need to show what he has and will to be the best within team in which he plays," Ruud van Nistelrooy, an assistant to coach Frank de Boer, heaped praise on Memphis Depay.  The Czech Republic , however, will enter tonight's game against the Netherlands as the odds-on favourites, at least when it comes to the history of their head-to-head encounters.

Since the Czech Republic emerged as an independent state in 1993, its national team has won five games and lost three against the Dutch, on top of three draws. Before that, Czechoslovakia memorably beat the Netherlands on the way to their only European Championship title in Belgrade in 1976.