UEFA Nations League: How to watch Czech Republic vs Spain live on June 5, 2022

Topics: TV Schedules, Czech Republic, Spain, UEFA Nations League

La Furia Roja are keen to get their first win of the campaign, having drawn 1-1 at home to Portugal in the opening fixture, but will face another tough test on Sunday.

Preview

The UEFA Nations League action continues this weekend, with Spain, one of the favorites for the title, returning to the field on Sunday. Next up for La Furia Roja is an interesting showdown with the Czech Republic, with this clash taking place at the Eden Arena in Prague.

Luis Enrique's men go in search of their first win of the tournament as they currently boast only one point in Group 2 of League A. The 2010 FIFA World Cup winners kicked off their campaign with an interesting clash with Portugal, handing Spain an opportunity to grab an early lead over their rivals, which they failed to seize.

Cristiano Ronaldo was named on the bench for that tie, which was a huge boost for the Spaniards, as they marched into an early lead after Sarabia set up Alvaro Morata for the goal courtesy of a defensive blunder from the Euro 2016 winners. Unfortunately for Torres and Co., they weren't able to add to their lead, nor were they able to hold onto it, as Ricardo Horta netted in the 822nd minute to rescue a point for Portugal.

Enrique's side will play an additional three games this month, two of which are against the Czech Republic, meaning a quick bounce back is needed. In the last edition of the UEFA Nations League, La Furia Roja went all the way to the final, beating Germany in the group stage before overcoming Italy in the semifinals. Unfortunately, as has been the case for a while now, the Spaniards could not get over the line at a crucial stage, this time the final, losing 2-1 to France after a brilliant second-half display from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe.

In Euro 2020, the continental giants went toe-to-toe with Italy in the semifinals but just fell short on penalty shootouts. The same was true in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with the likes of Iniesta and Ramos losing in the round of 16 on spot kicks to hosts Russia. However, Luis Enrique was not around during that tournament, with the highly-rated tactician set to lead his nation at Qatar 2022. A brilliant campaign in the UEFA Nations League is necessary for their World Cup hopes, hence the need for a win over the Czech Republic on Sunday.

Unlike the Spaniards, Naši won their opening game in the UEFA Nations League. In the absence of talisman forward Patrik Schick, the likes of Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal, two well-known names to Premier League fans, led their nation to victory over Switzerland.

However, fortune played its part in that triumph as a Djibril Sow's own goal awarded the home side the three points after Noah Okafor cancelled out Jan Kuchta's opening goal for the hosts.

Unfortunately, their failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup remains fresh in everyone's memory. Belgium topped their group in the qualifying round, which is understandable, but Schick and Co. missed out on the runners-up spot—and a subsequent playoffs ticket—to Wales.

Nonetheless, the Czech Republic's improvement as a national team is undeniable. Jaroslav Šilhavý's side reached the quarterfinals of Euro 2020, shocking the Netherlands along the way, and came achingly close to a semifinal berth. Their goal for this UEFA Nations League campaign will be to avoid relegation. Back-to-back wins over Switzerland and Spain would set them on this path perfectly.

Team news

Czech Republic: Schick remains on the sidelines, which is a huge blow for the home side given his brilliant goalscoring record for club and country over the last 12 months. However, there are no new concerns from the Switzerland game, meaning an identical lineup could be named, with Tomas Soucek starting and earning his 50th cap.

Spain: Enrique has his own concerns as Thiago Alcantara and Aymeric Laporte are unavailable. Additionally, Eric Garcia isn't fit, meaning Diego Llorente could partner Pau Torres once more at the heart of La Furia Roja's defense. Ansu Fati will be hoping for some time on the pitch after an injury-ravaged season while Gavi, who impressed against Portugal, will likely retain his spot in the lineup.

Key stats

The last time these two nations met was in 2016, with Spain winning that encounter 1-0.
Additionally, La Furia Roja are unbeaten against the Czech Republic in their five showdowns, winning four and drawing one.
Jaroslav Šilhavý's side are unbeaten in their last six home games.
Spain's last defeat on the road was in September 2021, losing 2-1 away to Sweden.