European Championships 2020
Tuesday 22nd June 2021
Kick off at 8pm BST
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Match Preview:
England come into their final Group D game in 2nd place but with the possibility of finishing 3rd and still qualifying England should make it to the knock out rounds whatever happens in this game.
England have the luck, because even though they have been designated as the away team for official purposes this is their 3rd consecutive home game at Wembley Stadium.
Gareth Southgate’s team have not looked at their best as they beat Croatia 1-0 in a narrow win and then could only draw 0-0 with Scotland, a team they were really expected to beat. However if England can beat the Czech Republic they would finish in 1st place in the group. Goals have obviously been an issue so far in this tournament for England and there has been some criticism of striker Harry Kane who has had two poor games. Many players in that positon would be dropped but Kane as we know can score goals, and this could be the game where he clicks, if not there will be genuine pressure on the Tottenham forward to deliver in the last 16.
The other question surrounding this game will be which side will trot out for England? Southgate is happy to chop and change- he dropped Kieran Trippier for helping to keep a clean sheet against Croatia and there has been limited playing time for the likes of Jack Grealish, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho. Marcus Rashford who has come off the bench twice has arguably looked rather invisible when he has had the chance. The feeling is that Southgate could use these group stages to get a feel for his proper 11 and utilise that team in the knock out games.
The problem for Southgate is that if England finish 1st they could face world champions France in the next round. If they finish 3rd they could end up with an easier tie at least on paper, which might be Sweden. Such is the draw, because in past times you got a little reward for topping your group- a so called easier last 16 game. That won’t happen for the team who top Group D.
Czech Republic have beaten Scotland 2-0 and also drew with Croatia 1-1 after leading that game. Patrik Schick the 25 year old who plays for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga has been all the rage, and he has scored all of Czech Republic’s goals so far, including two beauties against Scotland. At present Schick is doing what Harry Kane can only wish for and is a real danger in this game.
England are the odds on favourites to win this game and based on current FIFA rankings you can see why. Whilst England are firmly lodged in the top 10 the Czech’s are 40th. Czech Republic have gone their last 3 games unbeaten, however this year they have lost 4-0 to Italy, and Wales beat them 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier. In short, the nation have recorded some consistency but seem to come up short against the higher ranked nations.
Team News:
Czech Republic: There are no injury problems for the nation coming into this game.
England: Harry Kane has been confirmed to start after there were suggestions he could be dropped to the bench. Jack Grealish has a very slight tight muscle but is expected to be fine. Harry Maguire is back, but will he be picked? Jordan Henderson and Jadon Sancho are also vying for starts.
Czech Republic vs England Head to Head:
The last time the teams met was in 2019 and qualifying for this tournament and at home the Czech Republic won 2-1.
The nations have only played 4 times England have won 2 games, Czech Republic one and one draw.
The last time England played Czech Republic at home was in 2019 and they won 5-0.
There is a 75% chance to see over 2.5 goals.
The teams have never played each other in a major finals competition.
Czech Republic vs England Prediction:
England have the better team but they have been frustrating so far, although maybe that was to be expected, with a lot of talent and ideas clashing together. These players do not play week in, week out with one another and there has had to be some adjusting for that. This could be the game where the team really arrives, at the same time this may not be helped but Southgate tinkering the team around again.
Czech Republic will pose a threat, and along with Schick who will now have his eye on finishing as top goalscorer at the Euro’s strings will be pulled by Tomas Soucek in midfield. Soucek has been superb this past season for West Ham helping the Londoners to a fantastic top six place, so the danger is there for England.
However if England can dictate the pace of the game and keep up momentum, because they usually fall back in spells, they can win this game. There shouldn’t be a suggestion that England will not try to finish 1st in their group, because who knows really how the other group will finish, and they wouldn’t want to risk falling to 3rd place. England will go for the victory, and they should have too much for their opponents.
Czech Republic vs England Betting Tips:
England to beat Czech Republic at 1.60
Anytime goalscorer: Mason Mount at 5.00
Both teams to score at 2.00
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