Nations League: Tuchel leads England to first win after red card

Nations League Thomas Tuchel's England celebrated in Prague the team's first victory in the Nations League 2026/27. The English used the numerical advantage after Pavel Šulc received a red card in the 26th minute. The result was 2-0, a deserved win after dominant play.

Red card for Pavel Šulc decides the course of the game

Pavel Šulc was initially shown a yellow card in the 26th minute after a foul on Elliot Anderson by Turkish referee Umut Meler. After a video review, Meler changed his decision and showed the Czech defender a red card, leaving England to continue with 11 against 10 players.

The early numerical superiority allowed England to dictate the tempo and put pressure on the Czech defence. The Czechs conceded several clear chances in the early phase before the game turned in favour of the English.

Gordon and Kane provide the goals

Anthony Gordon, who plays for FC Barcelona, scored shortly after the halftime break the first goal, a header in the second minute of stoppage time. Harry Kane doubled the lead in the 68th minute with a low left‑footed shot from a half‑clear position to make it 2-0.

That was Kane's 87th international goal, raising his tally to 53 goals for the national team.

England dominate in Prague and claim a clear first Nations League win

Info and reactions from England

The info tickers showed that all matches in Group C will now continue with three points for England. After the critical loss to Spain (3-2) on opening day, the victory calmed English fans, although the discussion about Manchester City's financial breaches dominated the media landscape.

Manchester City was sanctioned by the Premier League for systematic fake contracts costing around one billion euros, a topic that received more attention in England than the Nations League match.

England play away to Croatia next Saturday at 18:00, while the Czechs face league leaders Spain at 20:45. Both teams are fighting for the group title, with England level on three points with Croatia.

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The first win under Tuchel marks a turning point for the English national team and boosts their chances of winning the Nations League. It demonstrates how crucial exploiting numerical superiority is in international competition.