Gordon and Kane Get Tuchel's England Off the Mark in Prague as Spain Hit Croatia for Four

England got their UEFA Nations League campaign going on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win over Czechia in Prague. Anthony Gordon and captain Harry Kane scored after half-time against hosts who had been down to 10 men since the first half.

The result followed Saturday's 3-2 home defeat by Spain. Thomas Tuchel happily described it as an "unglamorous" win.

The turning point: Sulc sent off

Czechia started well, but the game changed midway through the first half. Pavel Sulc caught Elliot Anderson with a high challenge. The referee first showed a yellow card, then upgraded it to red after checking the VAR monitor.

Even with the extra man, England did not break through before the break. Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar made several good saves.

Alexander-Arnold assist, Kane seals it

England scored just after half-time. Trent Alexander-Arnold, starting at right-back, sent in a cross from the right and Gordon met it with a stooping header into the bottom corner.

Kane made it 2-0 midway through the second half with a low finish after Morgan Rogers was bundled over in the build-up. James Trafford made several saves at the other end to keep a clean sheet.

Tuchel: "Sometimes you just need to... win 2-0"

"I love sometimes these unglamorous results. Sometimes you just need to leave the stadium and win 2-0 and have a relaxed evening," Tuchel said, as reported by Flashscore.

He admitted the red card helped. "With the red card we became heavy, heavy favourites," he told reporters, according to VAVEL. "We played a professional second half... We deserved to win the second half."

He was full of praise for Alexander-Arnold. "He had an excellent assist," Tuchel said, adding that the second-half role "suited Trent more than in the first half."

Yamal stars as Spain cruise in Seville

In the other Group A3 match, world champions Spain beat Croatia 4-1 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in Seville. Lamine Yamal scored twice, with Marc Pubill and Nico Williams also on target. Dion Drena Beljo scored for Croatia.

The Associated Press reported that the win extends Spain's unbeaten run to 40 matches. Coach Luis de la Fuente praised Yamal: "He is a very generous footballer who puts all that talent at the service of the team."

Elsewhere in Tuesday's action

• Switzerland 3-0 Scotland: Scotland had Jack Hendry sent off early.
• Slovenia 2-0 North Macedonia
• Slovakia 2-1 Kazakhstan
• San Marino 0-3 Albania and Luxembourg 0-3 Iceland
• Finland 0-0 Belarus and Moldova 1-1 Faroe Islands

What's next

Spain lead Group A3 with six points from two games. England and Croatia both have three. England now travel to face Croatia on Saturday. Tuchel called it an important match "against a direct opponent".

Key takeaways

• England beat 10-man Czechia 2-0 in Prague through Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane.
• Pavel Sulc was sent off after a VAR review for a high challenge on Elliot Anderson.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold set up Gordon's opener.
• Spain beat Croatia 4-1 with two goals from Lamine Yamal to stretch their unbeaten run to 40 games.

FAQ

Who scored for England against Czechia? Anthony Gordon headed in Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross early in the second half, and Harry Kane added a second midway through the half.

Who do England play next in the Nations League? Croatia, away, on Saturday.

Who leads Group A3? Spain, with six points from two matches after wins over England and Croatia.

Sources: UEFA, Associated Press, Flashscore, VAVEL, 101 Great Goals, TNT Sports