Czechia vs England Prediction, Predicted Lineups & Team News | UEFA Nations League

England travel to Prague on Tuesday bottom of UEFA Nations League Group A3 after opening with a 3-2 home defeat to Spain. Our Czechia vs England prediction favors the visitors, with Czechia still adjusting to a new manager and missing several senior players while England retain a clear advantage in attacking quality.

Thomas Tuchel's side led Spain 2-1 at half-time at Wembley before losing 3-2, with Harry Kane also hitting the crossbar from the penalty spot. Tuesday is therefore less about whether England can create chances and more about whether they can avoid the individual mistakes that undid an otherwise competitive performance.

When & Where to Watch (USA)

Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 8:45 PM CEST / 2:45 PM ET / 11:45 AM PT

Venue: Fortuna Arena, Prague (19,370)

• English: Fubo (streaming only, no US linear channel listed)
• Spanish TV: ViX

Czechia vs England Lineups & Injury News

Czechia vs England Confirmed Lineups

Czechia confirmed starting XI (4-2-3-1): Matej Kovar; Stepan Chaloupek, Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejci, Jiri Slama; Michal Sadilek, Lukas Cerv; Matej Radosta, Pavel Sulc, Adam Karabec; Adam Hlozek

England confirmed starting XI (4-2-3-1): James Trafford; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall; Elliot Anderson, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane

For the latest availability across Europe, see RotoWire's soccer injury report.

Czechia Team News & Injuries

Santi Denia is a Spaniard managing the Czech national team, which has never happened before. He took the job on July 31 after Miroslav Koubek resigned following a World Cup in which Czechia finished bottom of their group with a single point. Denia coached Spain to Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 and won European titles with their under-17s and under-19s. Saturday was his first competitive match and Tuesday is his first at home.

The rebuild is not a figure of speech. Patrik Schick has walked away from the national team and Denia has not talked him round, and Vladimir Darida, Tomas Holes, Jaroslav Zeleny and Vaclav Cerny all retired after the World Cup too. That leaves Denia with two recognised strikers in the squad and three debutants, one of whom, Lukas Ambros, started against Croatia.

Tomas Soucek is out injured. Ladislav Krejci, the captain, missed Saturday with a calf problem and Vladimir Coufal wore the armband instead, both should be available but remain doubts due to fitness issues. Lukas Provod withdrew from the squad before the window and Adam Karabec suffered an issue in the last game and should be replaced by Martin Subert on the left wing.

England Team News & Injuries

Nico O'Reilly is ruled out for this clash and Ezri Konsa is a doubt to play, both due to minor injuries. Otherwise, nothing new broke against Spain. This squad counts as good news after a week in which Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Valentino Livramento all withdrew on the same afternoon.

Lewis Hall is the change that matters. He missed a training session last week and wasn't risked at Wembley, but he's recovered and available and should start this one. Trent Alexander-Arnold sat on the bench for the whole 90 minutes on Saturday having been recalled specifically as a right back.

Jordan Pickford did the same. James Trafford started in goal at Wembley and conceded three, although he is expected to start between the posts against on Tuesday.

Marc Guehi's loss of possession set up Lamine Yamal inside two minutes. He kept his place in every projection because there isn't an obvious alternative, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Trevoh Chalobah the other centre-backs in camp. The back four that started against Spain is unlikely to start again, and that is the real story of England's week.

Czechia vs England Head-to-Head Record

That is the complete list. England and the Czech Republic have met five times since the country came into being in 1994, and England have won three, drawn one and lost one. Every competitive meeting so far has come inside the European Championship structure, so Tuesday is a first in that sense.

Czechia's win, in Prague in October 2019, is the one worth remembering here. England had beaten them 5-0 at Wembley seven months earlier and then lost 2-1 on the road, which is a useful warning about what this fixture looks like when England travel expecting to be waved through. Raheem Sterling settled the most recent meeting in 2021.

Czechia vs England Tactical Analysis

Czechia are likely to defend in the same 4-2-3-1 they used against Croatia, with the two holding midfielders protecting the space in front of the center-backs and the attacking players looking to break quickly once possession changes hands.

That puts most of the burden on England to solve a set defense. Saka and Gordon will need to create width against a compact back four, while Bellingham should spend long stretches trying to receive between the Czech midfield and defense. Kane can help by dropping away from the center-backs and pulling one of them forward, creating space for runners beyond him.

The main Czech threat comes in transition. Subert and Sulc will be the two players most capable of turning a turnover into a direct attack, and England showed against Spain how vulnerable they can become when possession breaks down in midfield.

The difference from Saturday is pressure. Spain forced England into mistakes with elite counter-pressing and individual quality. Czechia are less likely to sustain that level, which should allow England more control of territory and more time to attack the box.

If England move the ball quickly enough to shift Czechia's block from side to side, the matchup should eventually open for Saka and Bellingham around the edge of the area.

Czechia vs England Key Matchups

Pavel Sulc vs Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott

If Sulc plays, he's the one Czech who can turn defense into attack in a single action. England's two-man midfield is young and neither is a natural destroyer, so somebody has to pick him up when Czechia break.

Bukayo Saka vs Jiri Slama

Saka against a low block usually means repeated isolation against the left back. Slama got through 90 minutes against Croatia without being exposed because Croatia had the ball. He'll have a different evening.

Harry Kane vs Robin Hranac and Stepan Chaloupek

Kane scored at Wembley and then missed the penalty that would have made it 3-1. Against two centre-backs who will defend deep, his value shifts to dropping off and turning, which is where he has always hurt organised defences.

Czechia vs England Prediction

England showed enough against Spain to suggest the problem was not chance creation. They scored twice, led at half-time and generated enough opportunities to stay in the game before individual errors turned the result.

Czechia should be more comfortable defending deep than chasing possession, and they still carry a transition threat through Subert and Sulc if England become careless. But the hosts are missing experience, have lost three of their last four and are still adapting to a new manager.

England should control more of the ball and have the better individual options in the final third. If Tuchel's side can cut out the mistakes that decided Saturday's match, the attacking gap should eventually show.

Score Prediction: Czechia 1-3 England

Czechia and England Upcoming Fixtures

Czechia travel to Spain on Oct. 3, while England go to Croatia the same day, before the two meet again at Wembley on Oct. 6.

For squad news and injury updates through the international window, see RotoWire's soccer news feed and injury report. For markets on this game, see RotoWire's soccer betting page and the best sportsbook promos.