Hello, good evening and welcome to Czech Republic v England! On the one hand, this match doesn’t mean much – both sides are into the knockouts – but on the other hand it means plenty, given the varying quality of potential opponents. Except no one knows who they might be, a defeat might work out better than a victory, and you never know how good a draw is until you’ve made your way through it, so maybe we were right to begin with. Not really! Both sides could use a performance, both sides are repping for their families, and that’ll be more than enough to see us right.

Euro 2024 / Group Stage

Wembley / 22.06.2021

Czechia

Completed

England

R. Sterling(12')

Live

Live Updates

ByTim Hobbs

Updated 22/06/2021 at 20:53 GMT

68'

Grealish, then: he did well, but not necessarily well enough to nudge Mount out of the first team. The ball-carrying, though, really helps England get up the pitch, and that might be more useful than Mount's zip, chasing and eye for a pass.

67'

Rashford replaces Sterling and Bellingham replaces Grealish.

67'

Kane finds Sterling but the ball is a poor one and sets him up for a clattering from Coufal. He sees it coming, but it knocks him over anyway; somehow Coufal avoids a booking.

66'

Maguire shrugs off a challenge in centrefield and looks for Saka, passing it straight to Celustka instead.

66'

England have Bellingham and Rashford getting ready.

65'

Two further changes for the Czechs, Hlozec and Kral replacing Darida and Masopust.

63'

The Czechs try and raise it, then Holes goes down after he gets to the ball ahead of Maguire and absorbs studs with toe. Luckily for Maguire, the ref missed it.

61'

Boril is late on Saka, imprinting stud upon instep, and is booked. The free-kick comes to nothing.

60'

Masopust moves inside to Soucek who goes wide to Coufal. He's a fair way out but slings in a booming cross nevertheless and Pickford comes as he should, but punches because he's expecting a challenge that never comes.

59'

Yeah, this game is dying. If England want to win it, they don't want that.

59'

57'

The slower it gets, the more England will naturally sit back. I'd be thinking about trying Reece James for Walker and Sancho or Rashford for Sterling, who may as well be kept fresh for the next round.

56'

The game's slowed up a bit. If I was the Czech Republic, I'd want that, and if I was England, I'd be thinking about making a chance to reverse the situation.

54'

Kane then Sterling are close to getting on the end of long passes.

52'

The Czechs knock it about the back four and England block them off well. But eventually they find a pass into midfield, space in behind created when Shaw dives in on the ball and misses. Masopust then crosses, but Saka is in the right place to get it away before it reaches Soucek.

50'

A clever ball from Henderson nearly puts Kane in behind and Shaw backs him up really well, winning a throw that keeps the Czechs boxed deep inside their own half.

50'

His improvement is absolutely monumental.

49'

The Czechs win a corner and take it short, so Saka races out to close Darida down, taking him out at the same time.

48'

Masopust plays Holes in behind the England defence, but Stones reads it and clears up.

47'

I assume Southgate wants to give Rice a rest, but I imagine he's just as eager to get Henderson match-fit. I wonder if he'll be able to resist starting him next week.

46'

A change apiece: Czech Republic bring on Sevcik for Jankto and England bring on Henderson for Rice.

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