Czechia vs England: Three Lions need to avoid repeat of relegation campaign | OneFootball

England will be aiming to record their first win in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League when they visit Czechia on Tuesday.

The Three Lions lost 3-2 to Spain in their opening game, but produced an encouraging display that they can take into this game.

They showed character to recover from conceding an early goal and may have avoided defeat if Harry Kane had converted his penalty in the second half.

Manager Thomas Tuchel still has to sort out England’s defensive weaknesses, but should be confident against a Czechia side that have won just one of their past five games.

England are sweating over the fitness of Ezri Konsa and Nico O’Reilly. They would still be overwhelming favourites if the Arsenal and Manchester City defenders missed this game.

The Three Lions will control possession, but need to play with a high tempo and decisiveness in the final third.

Jude Bellingham’s ability to drive past defences and Anthony Gordon’s directness will be pivotal for Tuchel’s side. The pair played well against Spain.

By contrast, Bukayo Saka and Kane need to do better than they did on Saturday.

England were relegated from the top tier after a difficult 2022/23 Nations League campaign that started slowly, underscoring the importance of returning to winning ways.