The Euro 2020 Qualifiers – Will England Beat the Czech Republic in Prague?

Group A table-toppers England take on their closest rivals, the Czech Republic, on Friday 11 October at the Sinobo Stadium in Prague. So, what results have the two teams’ Euro 2020 qualifying campaigns produced so far and which players have received England call-ups this time around?

England and the Czech Republic – The Battle to Win Group A

The Three Lions are three points clear of the Czech Republic going into the tie and they have a game in hand. Therefore, a victory in Prague should be enough to see them through to the tournament finals to battle for the coveted football trophy. It will also help them to achieve their aim of securing the highest seeding that they can.

When England and the Czech Republic met in their opening group match in March, England won by 5-0, thanks to three goals from Raheem Sterling, a penalty from Harry Kane, and an own goal from Tomáš Kalas. Gareth Southgate’s men then went on to defeat Montenegro by 5-1 at the Podgorica City Stadium and triumph over Bulgaria by 4-0 at Wembley. Their most recent Euro 2020 qualifier, which took place at St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, saw them beat Kosovo by 5-3.

The Czech Republic, meanwhile, followed up their initial loss by beating Bulgaria by 2-1 at Prague’s Generali Arena and defeating Montenegro by 3-0 at the Andrův Stadion, Olomouc. They lost to Kosovo by 2-1 at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, but then got their campaign back on track by beating Montenegro by 3-0 at the Podgorica City Stadium. As a result, England are the favourites going into Friday’s match, but anything can happen in a tournament situation.

Who Could Be Playing for the Three Lions?

Earlier this month, Gareth Southgate announced his squad for England’s match against the Czech Republic and their subsequent tie with Bulgaria, which will take place in Sofia on 14th of October. Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kyle Walker all missed out on this occasion, but Chelsea teammates Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori were both called up for the first time.

Abraham has been selected alongside fellow forwards Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, Callum Wilson, and Marcus Rashford. Tomori, meanwhile, joins a pool of defenders comprised of Kieran Trippier, Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Danny Rose, Michael Keane, Joe Gomez, Ben Chilwell, and Tyrone Mings.

Fabian Delph was picked for the squad but was forced to withdraw just four days later after sustaining a hamstring injury in Everton’s Premiership tie with Burnley. Southgate has not named a replacement and will select his players from the remaining midfielders in the squad: Jordan Henderson, Harry Winks, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, James Maddison, and Declan Rice. Last but not least, three goalkeepers will be travelling to the Czech Republic as part of the squad, namely Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Burnley’s Nick Pope, and Aston Villa’s Tom Heaton.

What are your predictions for Friday’s Euro 2020 tie? How do you rate the Three Lions’ chances of claiming the glittering football trophy next year? Tell us in the comments section below or share your views with us on Twitter or Facebook.