Czech Republic vs Montenegro Prediction: Quick Schick to set hosts on their way

At least one of the Czech Republic and Montenegro will lose their 100% record in 2026 World Cup qualifying this week, with the two countries going head-to-head at Doosan Arena in Plzen on Friday (19:45).

Below are my Czech Republic vs Montenegro predictions, complete with all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Experienced internationals Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Soucek (both West Ham United), Alex Kral (Espanyol, on loan from Union Berlin), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) and Adam Hlozek (Hoffenheim) are all in the Czech Republic squad named by head coach Ivan Hasek.

Football Odds

However, David Jurasek (Hoffenheim), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Jan Kliment (Sigma Olomouc), Matej Sin and Jiri Boula (both Banik Ostrava), all of whom were in camp for their country's March internationals, have been left out for varying reasons.

Montenegro aren't lacking for international experience, either, with Stefan Savic (Trabzonspor), Marko Vesovic, Marko Jankovic (both Qarabag), Stevan Jovetic (Omonia Nicosia) and Stefan Mugosa (Incheon United) all with over 50 caps to their name and included in Robert Prosinecki's squad for this month.

However, 66-cap full-back Adam Marusic (Lazio) has been forced to pull out due to injury.

Czech Republic vs Montenegro Odds

These two countries last met in a friendly in June 2023, with the Czech Republic emerging as resounding 4-1 winners in Podgorica to chalk up a fifth successive victory over Monenegro. Friday's hosts are 4/11 to make it six in a row in Plzen, implying a 73.3% probability, while the visitors are 9/1, or a 10% chance, to secure all three points at Doosan Arena.

The draw is priced at 18/5, both teams to score at 5/4, and over 2.5 total goals at 10/11.

Schick (5/4) heads the anytime goalscorer market, with Lecce forward Nikola Krstovic (18/5), who struck 11 times in 37 Serie A outings this season, first up for Montenegro.

Match Result & Total Goals Over/Under 2.5 - Czech Republic & Under 2.5 Goals @ 2/1

Not much can be read into the first two rounds of fixtures, with the Czech Republic and Montenegro both beating two sides, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands, ranked in the bottom eight Uefa nations by Fifa.

Impressively, though, the Czechs are on a seven-game unbeaten run heading into Friday's contest. Hasek's side were thrashed 4-1 by Georgia in the first game of their Uefa Nations League B1 campaign on September 7, but reversed their fortunes at home against the Crusaders on November 19, winning 2-1 in Olomouc, and they won two and drew two of their four matches in between to help secure top spot and promotion into League A.

Montenegro, meanwhile, suffered relegation from League B, losing their first five group games, which, after friendly defeats to Belgium and Georgia, extended their losing run to seven matches.

The Brave Falcons won their first two 2026 World Cup qualifiers earlier this year, but both games were at home, and they were hardly convincing in either victory. They fell behind in the 13th minute to Gibraltar and only went in front in the 70th minute, while it took them until the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time to find a goal against the Faroe Islands in a 1-0 win.

On paper, Montenegro are much inferior to the Czech Republic, and the quality of the hosts should shine through on Friday, but I think it will be a bit of a slog, so combining a home win with under 2.5 goals might be the way to go here.

Three of the Czech Republic's Nations League games last year saw the under 2.5 line land, and two of the three goals scored in their 2-1 victory over the Faroe Islands in March came in the final 10 minutes.

Montenegro have seen two or fewer goals scored in eight of their last 12 matches, seven of which they lost (five went under 2.5 goals), and they've lost their last four away games by a 1-0 or 2-0 scoreline.

First Goalscorer - Patrik Schick (CZE) @ 7/2

After two rounds of fixtures, Czech Republic striker Schick (three goals) leads the scoring charts in the European section of 2026 World Cup qualifying.

The 29-year-old bagged a brace against the Faroe Islands and scored his country's second in their hammering of Gibraltar to move level with Tomas Rosicky on 23 international goals; Vladimir Smicer, with 27 strikes for the Czech Republic, is next in Schick's sights.

I'm not anticipating too many goals on Friday, with my first tip suggesting under 2.5, so it makes sense to back a first goalscorer here, and Schick is the standout candidate in that market, having opened the scoring in his nation's last home game and in two of his final four Leverkusen starts in 2024/25.

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