Preview: Czech Republic vs England - prediction, team news, lineups

Both reeling from one-goal home losses in their UEFA Nations League openers, the Czech Republic and England collide in Tuesday's bottom-of-the-table battle at the Fortuna Arena on Tuesday.

Santi Denia's men were sunk 2-1 by Croatia on Saturday night, while the Three Lions blew another lead against a global powerhouse in a 3-2 reverse to Spain.

Match preview

Shades of semi-final were evident for England supporters on Saturday evening, when just like Argentina on July 15, Spain turned the tide after going a goal down and condemned Tuchel's team to another gut-wrenching defeat.

Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane's quickfire strikes proved inconsequential, as Lamine Yamal, Alex Baena and Euro 2024 final hero Mikel Oyarzabal capitalised on an error-strewn England performance, one which came just a day after the seismic Manchester City guilty verdict.

Sky Blues stars Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi both committed costly mistakes leading to Spanish goals, fuelling the suggestion that the 114 charges news directly impacted England's Citizens contingent after Kane confirmed a "discussion" took place about the major ruling.

However, England's defensive deficiencies had been exposed both before and after Friday's bombshell, as Tuchel's team have now failed to keep a clean sheet in six straight games, conceding 13 goals in the process.

With two defeats in their last three matches, England have suffered as many losses in that time as they had in all of their last 23 contests beforehand, and their current third-placed standing in League A Group 3 would lead to a potential relegation playoff place.

Only below their upcoming visitors by virtue of an inferior goals scored total, the Czech Republic's Denia era also began on the wrong foot over the weekend, as the former Spain international oversaw the nation's third defeat in four games.

Either side of Adam Karabec's effort, 41-year-old Luka Modric and Orlando City's Marco Pasalic struck for Croatia at the Fortuna Arena, where the Czechs could hardly complain about the outcome after only registering five shots to the Chequered Ones' 16.

Only two of the hosts' eight fixtures in 2026 have ended in victory, a pair of World Cup warm-up friendlies against Kosovo and Guatemala, which preceded a forgettable North America campaign as the Czechs collected just one point from three group-stage games against South Korea, South Africa and Mexico.

Yo-yoing between Leagues B and A in the Nations League since the 2020-21 campaign, the Czech Republic topped League B Group in 2024-25 to return to the top tier, but their current fourth-placed ranking leaves them at risk of another swift demotion back down.

However, the last Czech Republic vs. England encounter to take place in Prague ended in a shock 2-1 win for Repre in 2019, before the Three Lions' 1-0 Euro 2020 triumph courtesy of a Raheem Sterling strike.

Czech Republic Nations League form:

Czech Republic form (all competitions):

England Nations League form:

England form (all competitions):

Team News

With 24 players in his ranks and only 23 places available in a Nations League matchday squad, Tuchel left Rio Ngumoha out against Spain, and it remains to be seen if the Liverpool youngster is considered for selection on Tuesday.

From current Reds starlets to ex-Reds starlets, Trent Alexander-Arnold was an unused substitute on Saturday - a decision that Tuchel explained post-match - but the Real Madrid man should come into the manager's thinking to replace Jarell Quansah here.

England suffered no new fitness concerns at Wembley, although Lewis Hall was not risked owing to a minor injury scare in training; there is nothing to suggest that the Newcastle United man will be absent in Prague.

England and the Czech Republic were both hit by a wave of withdrawals before matchday one, as the latter lost David Zima, David Jurasek, Matej Rynes, Tomas Vlcek, Lukas Provod, Denis Visinsky and Tomas Chory prior to their loss to Croatia.

Denia was also missing Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Ladislav Krejci on Saturday due to a calf problem, while playmaker Ondrej Lingr did not make the matchday squad for unexplained reasons.

To make matters worse, goalscorer Karabec had to be replaced in the second half due to an unspecified injury, and it is not clear whether the Sparta Prague winger's participation against England could be impacted.

Lyon playmaker Pavel Sulc - who recently rejected a transfer to Championship upstarts Wrexham - will operate in the hole behind number nine Adam Hlozek.

Czech Republic possible starting lineup:

Hornicek; Coufal, Hranac, Chaloupek, Slama; Sadilek, Cerv; Ambros, Sulc, Radosta; Hlozek

England possible starting lineup:

Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Guehi, Hall; Lewis-Skelly, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

We say: Czech Republic 0-3 England

While England are not the same defensive force they once were in Tuchel's earliest days, facing Argentina, France and Spain in successive fixtures goes some way to explaining their underwhelming rearguard numbers.

Now coming up against an injury-hit and out-of-sorts Czech team still adapting to Denia's methods, the Three Lions have our backing to get back to winning ways in emphatic fashion.

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