The first round of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League continues on Saturday the 26th of September with both Group 3 fixtures on the programme. Czech Republic welcome Croatia while England host newly crowned World Champions Spain.
League A features 16 nations divided into four groups of four, with each side facing the other teams in its group at home and away. The top two nations from every group advance to the two legged quarter-finals in March 2027, with the four winners progressing to the Nations League Finals in June.
The teams finishing bottom are automatically relegated to League B, while those ending third enter relegation playoffs against the League B runners-up.
Czech Republic vs Croatia – Click here to bet
Recent Form
Czech Republic return to action after a difficult World Cup group stage. They lost 2-1 to South Korea in their opening match before earning a 1-1 draw against South Africa.
A 3-0 defeat to Mexico ended their campaign without a victory. The Czechs had entered the tournament following friendly wins over Kosovo and Guatemala, but they will need a stronger defensive display against Croatia.
Croatia reached the knockout stages of the World Cup after recovering from a 4-2 defeat to England. They beat Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1 before their run ended with a narrow 2-1 loss to Portugal.
Notably Croatia scored in all four of those World Cup matches and showed that they could respond to a setback.
Head-to-Head
Croatia are unbeaten in the six previous meetings between the nations, recording two victories while the other four encounters ended level.
The sides met twice during World Cup qualifying in 2025. Croatia claimed a convincing 5-1 home victory in June before Czech Republic held them to a goalless draw in October.
Match Odds (1X2)
Czech Republic: 3.25
Draw: 3.65
Croatia: 2.25
Verdict
Czech Republic have home advantage, but their World Cup campaign ended with just one point from three matches. Croatia reached the knockout stages, found the net in every World Cup fixture and have never lost this matchup. The Czechs may offer firmer resistance than they did in the 5-1 qualifying defeat, although Croatia’s recent performances make them my preferred pick to take all three points.
BET: Croatia to Win at 2.25
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England vs Spain – Click here to bet
Recent Form
England return to Wembley after a memorable World Cup run. They progressed through the knockout rounds with victories over DR Congo, Mexico and Norway before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals.
The side responded by beating France 6-4 in their final appearance to claim 3rd place. England scored in each of their last six matches, although they conceded in five of those fixtures and will face another demanding test against Spain.
Spain enter the Nations League as World Champions after defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final. They also beat France 2-0 in the semifinals, completing a run of five consecutive victories in the knockout stages.
Spain conceded only once across those five matches, with clean sheets against Uruguay, Austria, Portugal, France and Argentina. Their combination of recent results and defensive solidity will give them confidence ahead of the trip to take on England.
Head-to-Head
Spain have won three of the last six meetings between the nations, while England have claimed two victories and the remaining encounter ended level.
Their most recent meeting came in the Euro 2024 final when Spain secured a 2-1 victory. The sides also traded away wins during the 2018/19 Nations League campaign with Spain winning 2-1 on the road before England claimed a 3-2 success in the return fixture.
Match Odds (1X2)
England: 3.00
Draw: 3.50
Spain: 2.50
Verdict
England’s World Cup run and home advantage make this a difficult opening assignment for Spain. However, they conceded regularly during the knockout stages while Spain won five consecutive matches on their way to the title and allowed only one goal across that stretch. England have the attacking quality to trouble the visitors, but Spain’s recent defensive performances give them the edge in what should be a close contest, and I am backing them to get the job done.
BET: Spain to Win at 2.50
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but subject to change.
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