England Up and Running in Nations League

England picked up their first three points of the 2025-26 Nations League thanks to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Czechia in Prague.

Manager Thomas Tuchel made four changes from his side’s 3-2 defeat to Spain on Saturday, with the most notable being the inclusion of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who made his first start for his country since October 2024.

The Czechs made a fast start and had some promising openings inside the first ten minutes. First, Pavel Sulc overran the ball when an Elliot Anderson mistake released the Czechia playmaker, before Lukas Cerv rifled a volley just wide.

Pavel Sulcs Off

England grew into the game, with the in-form Anthony Gordon firing wide, but momentum swung firmly in the Three Lions' favour midway through the first half.

Sulc, Czechia’s most dangerous player, caught Anderson on the ankle with a poor tackle, and following a VAR review his yellow card was upgraded to a red.

The visitors pushed for an opener and came close through Harry Kane, but the Czechs held firm as they went into half-time at 0-0.

England Take Control

But the home resistance was broken less than 70 seconds into the second half.

An inch-perfect Alexander-Arnold cross bounced kindly into the path of Gordon, who nodded home his second England goal in the space of four days.

It was one-way traffic from there as England dominated the ball and twice went close through the impressive full-back Lewis Hall.

And the points were made safe in the 69th minute as Harry Kane worked a yard of space before firing a low effort past Matej Kovar in the Czechia goal.

The win puts England second in League A Group 3 on goal difference, after Spain beat Croatia 4-1 in Seville. Next up for Tuchel’s side is a trip to Croatia on Saturday.