Kieran Trippier: ‘Harry Kane will score goals for England at Euro 2020’
Kieran Trippier has backed England captain Harry Kane to shrug off his poor start at Euro 2020 and start banging in the goals for Three Lions.
Czech Republic vs England: Line-ups
Czech Republic
England
England Can Prevail
#1
It is mathematically impossible for the Czech Republic to finish lower than third in the group, so the prospect of Silhavy’s men advancing as one of the best third-placed teams is still very much alive, but the group leaders have every reason to be optimistic about their chances of claiming a famous scalp over an uninspired England.
#2
Schick’s game-winning brace against Scotland on matchday one means that the Czech Republic currently lead the way at the top of the rankings, and so long as they can avoid defeat against England, they will make it out of the group as winners and set up a tie with the runners-up from the group of death.
#3
However, England’s last-16 fate remains in their own hands thanks to their opening-day victory over Croatia, and the second-placed Three Lions need only a draw to confirm their spot in the knockout stages, while a win would see them leapfrog the Czech Republic at the top.
#4
Just like in Russia three years ago, a runners-up place could see England rewarded with a friendlier tie in the next round versus the runners-up of Group E – although that could very well be Spain – and failure to sink the Czechs would not exactly lead to high hopes for the rest of the summer.
#5
Southgate would have been satisfied to see his side keep their fourth clean sheet on the bounce against Scotland, though, and they thrashed the Czech Republic 5-0 at Wembley during Euro 2020 qualification, but their upcoming opponents gained revenge in a 2-1 success back in October 2019.
DPP Verdict
With Schick firing on all cylinders and catching the eye of fans all across the continent, a fired-up Czech Republic ought to give England a good run for their money given their positive start to proceedings. Southgate is under huge pressure to select a starting XI capable of boosting the nation’s morale with a free-flowing attacking performance, and with some peripheral names in the final third hoping to be given the opportunity to impress, fans can be confident that England can prevail by a narrow margin and progress as group winners.
