After a disappointing end to the 2018 World Cup, where Gareth Southgate's hearty Three Lions side bailed out in the semi-finals, the broken-hearted nation have had time to heal, with focus now turning to next year's European Championships. Tonight, the qualifying process commences, as Wembley plays host to the Czech Republic for Group A's curtain raiser.
This evening's result is pivotal for Southgate's men as they look to make a statement in a group lacking any real quality, with Jaroslav Šilhavý's men undoubtedly the strongest side England will face throughout qualifying. Kosovo, Montenegro and Bulgaria shouldn't prove too much of a challenge, and while it is perhaps foolish to appear over confident, with the quality the Three Lions possess at the moment you wouldn't expect anything less than a first-place finish come November when the qualifying process comes to an end.
England travel to Montenegro on Monday for their second qualifying match, so a win this evening would do their confidence levels the world of good. With three consecutive wins heading into tonight's fixture, momentum is firmly behind the hosts.
However, the visitors also find themselves in a rich vein of form having won their last two against Slovakia and Poland - they've also not conceded a single goal since October, highlighting just how strong they've been defensively recently. With Harry Kane now firing on all cylinders after returning from injury, scoring three goals in his last three matches for Tottenham, England should have too much for the Czech's in this one.
