European Championship Qualifying
Czech RepCzech Republic2EnglandEngland1

Czech Republic 2-1 England: Visitors must wait to qualify for Euro 2020

By Phil McNultyChief football writer in Prague
Harry Kane
Kane's penalty was his seventh goal in qualifying

England must wait to confirm their place in Euro 2020 after the Czech Republic deservedly ended their 43-game unbeaten run in qualifiers stretching back 10 years.

Gareth Southgate's side would have secured their place in next summer's tournament with victory in Prague but they can have no complaints after a wretched display against a Czech side who were a different proposition from that swept aside 5-0 at Wembley in March.

England can still qualify on Monday if they beat Bulgaria and Kosovo do not beat Montenegro.

England were handed the perfect start when captain Harry Kane put them ahead from the penalty spot in the fifth minute after Lukas Masopust fouled Raheem Sterling but they were well below their best and slumped to a bitterly disappointing defeat.

The Czechs were swiftly level when Jakub Brabec scored following a corner. England could not muster further inspiration and substitute Zdenek Ondrasek pounced to score the winner with four minutes left.

England were desperately poor throughout and were grateful to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who produced fine saves from Vladimir Coufal, Masopust and Alex Kral, while Czech counterpart Tomas Vaclik did well to deny Sterling and Kane.

They can put things right against Bulgaria in Sofia on Monday but this was a serious reality check for a side hoping to do great things next summer, losing a qualifier for the first time since they went down 1-0 to Ukraine on 10 October 2009.

England deserve no better

This must rank as one of the worst performances of Southgate's reign and the manager himself has to take his own share of the responsibility.

No-one can complain about his decision to give Chelsea's in-form Mason Mount his debut ahead of team-mate Ross Barkley but the youngster never flourished in an advanced midfield position in the first half.

Mount was barely able to influence the game and with Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice exposed and pedestrian, England found themselves often overrun by the sprightly Czechs.

England's potent attacking trio of Kane, Sterling and Jadon Sancho were starved of service, leaving them under-performing in every area of the pitch.

The Czech Republic, backed by a noisy crowd in Prague, gathered momentum and confidence and it was no surprise when Ondrasek finally broke Pickford's resistance late on.

This was simply not good enough from England and the concerns that surfaced about their true quality when they won 5-3 in chaotic style against Kosovo in Southampton will only increase after this.

Defensive woes continue

Any hope the defensive uncertainty that characterised England's victory against Kosovo had been successfully addressed was banished inside the first 10 minutes in Prague.

Pickford saved brilliantly from Coufal as the Czech Republic responded to England's early salvo but there was the trademark confusion at the resulting corner which ended with Brabec stabbing home from close range.

England lived dangerously throughout and it was not a shock when they finally conceded late on.

Everton's Michael Keane struggles desperately at this level while full-backs Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier hardly covered themselves in glory either.

Harry Maguire looks the one staple in defence but he does not exude confidence either.

In other words, quality sides will relish facing this England defence and Southgate is running out of time to apply the fix.

Southgate = Hodgson - the stats

  • Czech Republic had 17 shots in this match, the most England have faced in a qualifying match since March 2013, when Montenegro had 19 in a World Cup qualifier.
  • This was England's first defeat in a European Championship qualifier since losing 3-2 at Wembley against Croatia in November 2007.
  • Harry Kane has scored 20 goals in 21 matches for England when starting as captain - the only player with more is Vivian Woodward (23 goals between 1908 and 1911).
  • Excluding shootouts, no player has scored more penalties for England than Harry Kane (9, level with Frank Lampard).
  • Zdenek Ondrasek scored on his international debut for Czech Republic, scoring with his first shot in international football.
  • Gareth Southgate (W21 D9 L8) has lost as many games as England manager in 38 matches as Roy Hodgson lost in 56 matches as manager (W33 D15 L8).

What next?

England travel to Bulgaria on Monday (kick-off 19:45 BST) looking to secure a spot at Euro 2020.

Line-ups

Czech Rep

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Vaclik
  • 5Coufal
  • 3Celustka
  • 4Brabec
  • 18Boril
  • 15Soucek
  • 21Kral
  • 20MasopustSubstituted forZmrhalat 90'minutes
  • 8Darida
  • 14JanktoBooked at 8minsSubstituted forKopicat 83'minutes
  • 19SchickSubstituted forOndrasekat 65'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Reznik
  • 6Kudela
  • 7Krejci
  • 9Ondrasek
  • 10Husbauer
  • 11Krmencik
  • 12Kalvach
  • 13Kopic
  • 16Kolar
  • 17Zmrhal
  • 22Simic
  • 23Pavlenka

England

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Pickford
  • 2Trippier
  • 5Keane
  • 6Maguire
  • 3RoseBooked at 10mins
  • 8HendersonBooked at 90mins
  • 4RiceSubstituted forAbrahamat 88'minutes
  • 10SanchoSubstituted forRashfordat 73'minutes
  • 11MountSubstituted forBarkleyat 72'minutes
  • 7SterlingBooked at 68mins
  • 9Kane

Substitutes

  • 12Alexander-Arnold
  • 13Pope
  • 14Chilwell
  • 15Gomez
  • 16Mings
  • 17Tomori
  • 18Winks
  • 19Barkley
  • 20Rashford
  • 22Henderson
  • 23Abraham
Referee:
Damir Skomina
Attendance:
18,651

Match Stats

Home TeamCzech RepAway TeamEngland
Possession
Home44%
Away56%
Shots
Home17
Away7
Shots on Target
Home8
Away4
Corners
Home6
Away2
Fouls
Home16
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Czech Republic 2, England 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Czech Republic 2, England 1.

  3. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jan Kopic (Czech Republic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Jaromir Zmrhal.

  4. Booking

    Jordan Henderson (England) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  5. Post update

    Ross Barkley (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Vladimír Darida (Czech Republic).

  7. Post update

    Harry Maguire (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Zdenek Ondrasek (Czech Republic).

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, Czech Republic. Jaromir Zmrhal replaces Lukas Masopust.

  10. Substitution

    Substitution, England. Tammy Abraham replaces Declan Rice.

  11. Goal!

    Goal! Czech Republic 2, England 1. Zdenek Ondrasek (Czech Republic) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lukas Masopust.

  12. Post update

    Danny Rose (England) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Alex Kral (Czech Republic).

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Czech Republic. Jan Kopic replaces Jakub Jankto.

  15. Post update

    Corner, England. Conceded by Jan Boril.

  16. Post update

    Attempt saved. Harry Kane (England) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ross Barkley with a through ball.

  17. Post update

    Raheem Sterling (England) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Jan Boril (Czech Republic).

  19. Post update

    Corner, Czech Republic. Conceded by Jordan Pickford.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. Alex Kral (Czech Republic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Vladimír Darida.

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As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1England54012061412
2Czech Rep6402119212
3Kosovo5221101008
4Montenegro6033313-103
5Bulgaria6033511-63

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Ukraine65101311216
2Portugal5320134911
3Serbia52121012-27
4Luxembourg6114511-64
5Lithuania6015417-131

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Netherlands54011761112
2Germany54011761112
3Northern Ireland640287112
4Belarus6114310-74
5Estonia6015218-161

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Republic of Ireland532062411
2Denmark5230155109
3Switzerland422010468
4Georgia511348-44
5Gibraltar5005016-160

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Croatia6411135813
2Slovakia6312108210
3Hungary630379-29
4Wales52125507
5Azerbaijan5014513-81

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain66001731418
2Sweden6321138511
3Romania6312137610
4Norway623111839
5Malta6105213-113
6Faroe Islands6006320-170

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Poland7511112916
2Austria7412167913
3North Macedonia7322109111
4Slovenia7322137611
5Israel72231214-28
6Latvia7007124-230

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Turkey76011521318
2France76012041618
3Iceland74031010012
4Albania7304101009
5Andorra7106114-133
6Moldova7106218-163

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Belgium77002812721
2Football Union of Russia76012241818
3Cyprus7313137610
4Kazakhstan7214911-27
5Scotland7205517-126
6San Marino7007037-370

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Italy66001831518
2Finland640284412
3Armenia6303121119
4Bos-Herze6213121117
5Greece6123710-35
6Liechtenstein6015119-181
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