Spain vs. Czech Republic – News and Probable Lineups

Spain will be looking to achieve a hat trick of victories in their opening three fixtures of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League when they take on the Czech Republic this Saturday evening.

La Roja currently leads Group 3 in League A with six points, while the Czech Republic sits at the bottom of the table with no points after losing their first two matches.

Match overview

Spain kicked off their 2026-27 Nations League campaign by securing a 3-2 victory against England at Wembley on September 26. They followed up this win with a 4-1 triumph over Croatia just three days later, bringing their points tally to six.

Luis de la Fuente’s squad now has fixtures against the Czech Republic and Croatia before the conclusion of this international break. Given their quality, it would be surprising if they did not secure all 12 points, considering La Roja’s status as one of the top teams in world football.

The current world and European champions, Spain have achieved victory in their last nine matches across all competitions and have remained unbeaten in 90-minute play since a friendly against Colombia in March 2024.

La Roja won the Nations League in the 2022-23 season before succumbing to Portugal on penalties in the final of the 2024-25 campaign.

Spain has met the Czech Republic seven times prior, remaining undefeated with a record of five wins and two draws; their latest encounter took place in June 2022, where La Roja won 2-0 in their Nations League match.

The Czech Republic managed to hold Spain to a 2-2 draw at home during their previous meeting in the 2022-23 Nations League, but their start to the 2025-26 Nations League campaign has been far from satisfactory.

Santi Denia’s team faced a 2-1 defeat at home against Croatia in their opener on September 26, followed by a 2-0 loss to England three days later.

The Czech Republic currently occupies the last place in Group 3 of League A with zero points and are under pressure to secure positive results in their upcoming matches against Spain and England.

The Czech team has played 23 matches in the Nations League, recording a record of 10 wins, three draws, and 10 losses.

This marks the second time the Czech Republic has played in League A, having earned promotion from League B last season.

Spain Nations League form:

WW

Spain form (all competitions):

WWWWWW

Czech Republic Nations League form:

LL

Czech Republic form (all competitions):

WLDLLL

Team News

Head coach De la Fuente is expected to make some alterations to the lineup that faced Croatia, with Aymeric Laporte set to return to the backline.

Rodri and Dani Olmo are likely to be reinstated in the midfield, and there could be starting opportunities for both Nico Williams and Ferran Torres in the attacking line.

Lamine Yamal has been in stellar form during this international break, netting three goals and providing one assist over two matches, and the Barcelona forward is anticipated to retain his starting position.

On the Czech side, Pavel Sulc will be unavailable due to suspension following a red card received against England.

Adam Karabec is also expected to miss out against Spain, having been forced off in the later stages of the match against the Three Lions.

Alex Kral and Ondrej Lingr may both be brought into the starting lineup, while Adam Hlozek, who has scored five goals for the national team, is again set to feature prominently.

Spain probable starting XI:

Simon; Pubill, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri; Yamal, Olmo, N Williams; F Torres

Czech Republic probable starting XI:

Blacksmith; Chaloupek, Hranac, Krejci, Slama; Sadliek, Cerv; Joy, Kral, Lingr; Hlozek

With Spain in such formidable form, it is exceedingly challenging to see past them in this matchup. This looks to be a daunting challenge for the Czech Republic, and a comfortable win for La Roja is anticipated.