Czechia and Spain head into UEFA Nations League encounter in contrasting circumstances. While Spain have already secured their place in the quarter-finals after winning all four of their opening Group A3 matches, Czechia are out of contention for the knockout stage following four consecutive defeats.
Spain will be looking to maintain their perfect record and strengthen their position at the top of the group, whereas the hosts need a positive result to improve their chances of avoiding a bottom-place finish and the associated relegation threat.
Czechia Team News
Czechia have endured a difficult Nations League campaign, failing to collect a single point from their opening four Group A3 fixtures. They began with a 2-1 defeat against Croatia before losing 2-0 to England. Their struggles continued with a 3-1 loss against Spain, followed by another 3-0 defeat to England at Wembley.
Those results have left Santi Denia’s side at the bottom of the group with zero points. Although qualification for the quarter-finals is now out of reach, Czechia can still improve their final standing and potentially avoid direct relegation from League A.
The Czech side have two remaining opportunities to collect points, starting with Thursday’s meeting against Spain before travelling to face Croatia on November 15 in their final group-stage fixture.
Michal Sadilek will be unavailable after receiving a suspension. Meanwhile, captain Ladislav Krejci is available again after serving his suspension following his red card against Spain in October.
Adam Hlozek is expected to lead the attack, although his fitness remains worth monitoring after missing his latest club fixture with an injury. Tomas Soucek is also expected to feature in midfield, potentially making his 94th appearance for the national team.
Vladimir Coufal could also return to the starting XI, while 18-year-old Idris Hopi is among the players who could make their senior international debut.
Czechia will also have to contend with several other absentees, including Adam Karabec, Robin Hranac, Ondrej Kricfalusi, Ondrej Lingr, Matej Rynes, Pavel Sulc and Michal Sacek, who have been reported as unavailable due to injury or fitness issues.
Spain Team News
Spain remain firmly in control of Group A3, having collected 12 points from their first four matches. Luis de la Fuente’s side have scored 12 goals while conceding just five, establishing themselves as one of the strongest teams in the competition so far.
La Roja opened their campaign with an impressive 3-2 victory over England before recording a convincing 4-1 win against Croatia. They subsequently defeated Czechia 3-1 and secured another 2-1 victory away to Croatia.
Despite their excellent form, Spain will be without several important players for their trip to Prague. Lamine Yamal has been ruled out after suffering a right knee problem during Barcelona’s match against Atletico Madrid. Mikel Oyarzabal will also miss the encounter as he continues to recover from an illness.
Ander Barrenetxea is another absentee after picking up a thigh injury, with Jorge de Frutos called up as his replacement. Rodri, Dani Olmo and Eric Garcia are also unavailable for selection after not being included in the squad due to physical issues.
With Yamal and Oyarzabal missing, Ferran Torres is expected to lead the attacking line, supported by Nico Williams, Fermin Lopez and Alex Baena.
Pedro Porro is expected to start at right-back after returning from injury, while Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte could form the central defensive partnership alongside Marc Cucurella.
Fermin Lopez and Alex Baena are also expected to retain their places in the starting XI despite being one booking away from suspension. Both players will need to avoid another yellow card if they are to remain available for Spain’s final group-stage match against England.
Predicted Line-Ups
Czechia (4-2-3-1)
Kinsky; Coufal, Chaloupek, Krejci, Slama; Kral, Soucek; Cerv, Ambros, Danek; Hlozek.
Spain (4-2-3-1)
Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Ruiz; Nico Williams, Fermin, Baena; Torres.
Match Prediction
Spain enter this contest as clear favourites, thanks to their superior squad depth, impressive attacking quality and consistent performances throughout the group stage.
Four consecutive victories and 12 goals scored underline La Roja’s attacking strength. Their previous 3-1 victory over Czechia also provides an additional confidence boost ahead of this encounter.
The absence of Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal could reduce Spain’s attacking options, but De la Fuente still has several talented players capable of making the difference. Nico Williams, Fermin Lopez and Ferran Torres should provide enough attacking threat to trouble the Czech defence.
Czechia, meanwhile, have struggled defensively, conceding 10 goals in their opening four group matches. Although playing at home could provide some encouragement, they will need a significantly improved defensive performance to contain the Spanish attack.
The hosts should still have opportunities to threaten, particularly if they can take advantage of Spain’s occasional defensive vulnerabilities. However, the visitors’ superior quality and attacking consistency should ultimately prove decisive.
Spain are therefore backed to secure their fifth consecutive victory in the competition and maintain their position at the top of Group A3.
Predicted Score: Czechia 1-3 Spain
Contact Us :
LiveChat : W88 Malaysia
Telegram: W88Malaysia