Czechia vs England prediction 29.09.2026 | UEFA Nations League

Czechia's new era under Santi Denia began with a narrow 2-1 defeat against Croatia. The hosts were competitive but were restricted to just five shots, compared with Croatia's 16. 

The hosts did show some attacking efficiency, scoring with one of their two shots on target, but they will need significantly more attacking output against England. Their recent competitive record also shows inconsistency, with four consecutive winless matches behind them.

Denia has also had to contend with several injuries. David Zima, Denis Višinský, Tomáš Vlček, Tomáš Chorý, Lukáš Provod and David Jurásek were among the players withdrawn from the original squad because of injuries, forcing six changes before the international window.

England's 3-2 defeat to Spain was considerably more productive from an attacking perspective, registering a reasonable xG score of 1.74, while creating three big chances. However, Spain produced 3.12 xG and six big chances, exposing weaknesses in England's defensive performance. 

England had led 2-1 at half-time through Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane after falling behind early, but Spain scored twice after the interval to complete the comeback. 

Tuchel is still dealing with a lengthy injury list. Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Tino Livramento and Kobbie Mainoo all withdrew from the squad, with James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White called up as replacements.