Spain will be eyeing a third straight win in the UEFA Nations League group stage when they host Czechia on Saturday.
Czechia will look to bring an end to their two-game losing streak when they hit the road to square up against world champions Spain. While the visitors will be eyeing a huge upset, the home team will look to build on a positive start to the Nations League campaign.
Spain are currently top of their group after having won both their games in this international break. They started the campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 win over England and backed it up with a comfortable 4-1 win over Croatia.
Luis de la Fuente’s team will look to make it a hat-trick of wins when they host Czechia. Given the kind of performances they have put up in this break, Spain will be out-and-out favourites to win. Meanwhile, the visitors have lost both their group games so far. They started their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Croatia before suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of England last time out.
Czechia have been outplayed in both these fixtures and will have to step up big time if they are to stand a chance against the best team on the planet. While they do have the quality to hurt Spain on the break, the question is whether they can keep the home side’s star-studded attack at bay. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Spain do not have any fresh injury concerns, but Luis de la Fuente is still likely to make changes to the team that started in their last outing. The World Cup winners are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Unai Simon starting between the sticks.
Marc Pubill and Marc Cucurella should feature as the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi is likely to pair up with Aymeric Laporte in the heart of the defence. In midfield, Fabian Ruiz and Rodri should form the double pivot. The duo will look to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game while helping Spain dominate the middle of the pitch.
Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are expected to occupy the wide areas, providing width and supporting the attack, while Dani Olmo could take up the number ten role behind Ferran Torres, who will lead the line for Spain against Czechia this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; Pubill, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri; Yamal, Olmo, Nico Williams; Ferran Torres
Adam Karabec picked up a knock and was forced off in their last outing, which means he is unlikely to be available. Apart from him, Pavel Sulc is suspended for this outing following a red card against England.
Czechia are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Spain, with Matej Kovar starting between the sticks. Stepan Chaloupek and Jiri Slama should feature as the full-backs, while Robin Hranac will start alongside Ladislav Krejci in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Michal Sadilek and Lukas Cerv should form the double pivot. The duo will look to protect the backline and ensure Spanish midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.
Matej Radosta and Ondrej Lingr are expected to occupy the wide areas. The duo will provide width to their attacks, but will also look to support the full-backs defensively. Alex Kral will be the main creative source in the number ten role behind Adam Hlozek, who will lead the line against La Roja.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kovar; Chaloupek, Hranac, Krejci, Slama; Sadliek, Cerv; Radosta, Kral, Lingr; Hlozek
The 24-year-old Athletic Club winger has seven goals in his 38 caps for the national team, and he will be eager to add to his tally when he takes the field on Saturday. Injuries restricted him to a limited involvement in the World Cup, and he has not really been in the best of form this season either.
In his six league outings, Williams only has one goal to his name. This game could be an opportunity for the young winger to get back to his best and once again showcase the quality that has made him a constant feature in the Spanish squad.
Spain have made an excellent start to their UEFA Nations League campaign and should be full of confidence after winning both of their games in this international break. Luis de la Fuente’s side have shown plenty of quality in attack and have scored seven goals across their two outings.
With home advantage and a squad packed with attacking talent, Spain should have enough to dominate possession and create plenty of chances. Meanwhile, Czechia have struggled in their opening two games and will need a significant improvement if they are to compete with the world champions.
Their ability to threaten on the counter could cause Spain a few problems, but keeping Yamal, Nico Williams and the rest of the hosts’ attacking players quiet will be a major challenge. Spain should have too much quality across the pitch and are expected to secure another comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-1 win for the home team.
