Spain’s Nations League campaign has begun at full speed, and Saturday’s home meeting with the Czech Republic offers the world champions a chance to tighten their grip on the group summit.
Spain seek a third straight win
La Roja opened the 2026-27 Nations League with a 4-1 victory over Croatia before following it with a 3-2 win against England at Wembley. Those results have put Spain top of the standings after two rounds.
- Spain started their campaign by beating Croatia 4-1.
- They then travelled to Wembley, where they defeated England 3-2.
- Spain went into the interval behind in that match, with England leading 2-1.
- Álex Baena levelled in the 60th minute before Mikel Oyarzabal struck the decisive goal in the 74th minute.
- They now host the Czech Republic on Saturday, aiming to extend their unbeaten run and create daylight at the top of the group.
Czech Republic arrive under pressure
The Czech side come into the fixture in sharply different form. Their difficult World Cup campaign, which brought only one point, has been followed by defeats to England and Croatia in the opening Nations League matches.
Those losses mean the Czech Republic are without a win in five games, a sequence containing four defeats and one draw.
Denia reunites with Spain
Czech coach Santiago Denia will face a Spanish national set-up he knows closely. The 52-year-old worked across Spain’s youth teams from 2010 until 2025 and was part of the Olympic staff alongside Luis de la Fuente when Spain reached the final of the 2021 Games.
On Saturday, Denia and De la Fuente meet again, but from opposite dugouts: Spain chasing another statement result, the Czech Republic seeking a result capable of stopping their slide.
