Reports describe Spain as having opened the campaign with a win at Wembley before following it with a 4-1 victory over Croatia in Seville. That sequence gives Luis de la Fuente’s side control of the group and reinforces their status as favourites.
The challenge now is maintaining the same intensity against an opponent expected to defend deeper. Spain’s recent results provide the strongest argument for that expectation: they have combined an away success against England with a convincing home win over Croatia.
The Czech Republic are reportedly facing the match after consecutive defeats at home, losing 2-1 to Croatia and 2-0 to England. Those results leave little margin for another passive performance, particularly against a Spain side carrying attacking confidence.
Denia’s return will attract attention, but sentiment cannot solve the Czech team’s immediate problem. They need greater control without the ball and a more reliable route into the final third. A third defeat would turn a difficult start into an early group crisis.
Spain’s likely advantage lies in their ability to keep the game in the Czech half. The reported scorelines point to a team creating enough pressure to win, while the Czech losses underline the cost of conceding control.
For the visitors, the priority is to stay compact and extend the contest. If they can avoid an early setback, Denia’s side may create the uncertainty Spain have not yet faced in this campaign.
A Spanish victory would preserve their reported 100 per cent record and strengthen their position in Group A3. For the Czech Republic, the next storyline is whether Denia can turn an emotional homecoming into the first result of his tenure.