Gordon and Kane put England back on track with win in Czechia

England secured their first points of the UEFA Nations League campaign with a 2-0 victory away to Czechia on Tuesday, recovering from their opening-day defeat by Spain.

The Three Lions took control of the second-round match after Czechia were reduced to 10 players when Pavel Schultz was sent off in the 25th minute. The dismissal forced the hosts to retreat into a defensive shape, allowing England to dominate possession and continue building pressure.

England finally made their numerical advantage count shortly after half-time. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 47th minute, meeting an excellent cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold with a precise header that went beyond the Czech goalkeeper and into the far side of the net.

Gordon also scored in England’s first match of the competition against Spain, although La Roja won that game 3-2. His latest goal underlined his growing attacking influence for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Harry Kane doubled England’s advantage in the 69th minute. Morgan Rogers received the ball inside the penalty area and went down as he attempted to control it, but Kane reacted quickly to meet the loose ball with a direct finish.

The second goal effectively settled the contest and enabled Tuchel to protect several of his senior players. England made three substitutions at once, with Kane, Bukayo Saka and Eliot Anderson replaced by Jude Bellingham, Rio Ngumoha and Alex Scott.

The victory leaves England second in the group on three points, behind Spain on six. La Roja made it two wins from two by beating Croatia 4-1 in their second-round fixture.

England will travel to face Croatia in the third round on 3 October, before hosting Czechia in the fourth round on 6 October.