Czech Republic vs England preview: The battle for top spot in Group D

Group D: Czech Republic vs England, today, kick-off 8pm (UK time, ITV)

The two leading sides in Group D clash at Wembley tonight in a straight shoot-out for top spot.

Gareth Southgate’s outfit have blown hot and cold so far at the European Championship and must take all three points from the tie in order to advance as group winners.

The Czech Republic, meanwhile, have emerged as a surprise package at Euro 2020 and will top the group if they can avoid defeat to the Three Lions.

Story so far

England will undoubtedly be disappointed with the way the Group D table currently reads.

Following a terrific result against Croatia on matchday one, Southgate’s side were unable to carry on in the same manner when they met old foes Scotland last Friday night.

In a match where chances were few and far between, England came to rue a missed John Stones header which cracked against the post in the game’s early stages.

After opening the tournament with a clinical 2-0 victory over Scotland, the Czech Republic continued their impressive campaign with a 1-1 draw against Croatia.

There was perhaps a hint of good fortune to that result — a VAR review saw Jaroslav Silhavy’s side awarded a penalty, which talisman Patrik Schick coolly dispatched.

They weren’t ahead for long though, as an emphatic Ivan Perisic strike cancelled out the Bayer Leverkusen forward’s opener.

Faith in Kane

Eyebrows were raised when Harry Kane was hauled off in the 74th minute against Scotland. 

With England longing for a goal, it came as a surprise to many that Southgate opted to substitute last season’s Premier League top goalscorer.

After failing to leave his mark in the Three Lions’ opener with Croatia, it was hoped that the England captain would find the net against a perceived lesser side last Friday.

But again, with a lack of creativity evident throughout the team, Kane was hardly afforded a sniff at goal — failing to register a single shot on target in either game.

Despite this, the England manager has stated though that Kane will start against the Czech Republic.

Southgate said: “You can assume that, yes — absolutely,” when asked if the Tottenham star would keep a spot in his first XI.

Cool Kalas

Bristol City defender Tomas Kalas put his wobbly display against Scotland behind him with an assured performance in the Czech Republic’s second game with Croatia.

The former Chelsea player was a calming influence on the Czech defence, especially in the latter stages of the game when Zlatko Dalic’s men probed for a winning goal. 

Kalas found himself on the end of almost every ball that was sent deep into his penalty box.

After England were unable to find a goal late on in their previous game, attempts to attack the area with a barrage of crosses in the closing stages tonight could well result in a similar fate.

Defensive midfield difficulties

After being lauded for their excellent performances against Croatia, England midfield duo Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips came in for criticism following the draw with Scotland.

There was very little progression from the two midfielders, with England’s front four often finding themselves swarmed by the Scots’ back five and midfield trio.

Yet both Rice and Phillips played the full 90 minutes on Friday, so it’s clear that Southgate is wedded to that setup in the centre of the park.

With their midfield pairing of Tomas Soucek and Alex Kral, the Czech Republic possess two players who have an eagerness to join their team's attacks whenever possible — something which Rice and Phillips must also do to break down their opponent’s tough defensive unit at Wembley.

A full-back dilemma

One of the Czech Republic’s shining lights at Euro 2020 has been West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal.

After contributing an assist in their opening game against Scotland, Coufal followed that up with a mightily impressive performance in the draw with Croatia.

The right-back created the joint-most chances (3) in the opener with Scotland, while also making the most tackles (3) in the Croatia tie.

Southgate will have a decision on his hands as to who will line up against Coufal when the two sides meet.

In the Three Lions’ first game of the tournament, he deployed right-back Kieran Trippier in the left-back role, before opting for a more natural left-sided defender in the shape of Luke Shaw against Scotland.

The England boss will need to balance attacking intent with defensive solidity once again this evening.