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A second-half Harry Kane goal saved a desperately disappointing England’s blushes against a stubborn Andorra side.
The 1-0 victory preserved England’s perfect start to World Cup qualifying as Thomas Tuchel became the first manager in the nation’s history to win his first three games in charge without conceding a goal.
But England were dull and lethargic against Andorra, who are ranked 173rd in the world by FIFA, and they were jeered off at the half-time break.
England are next in action against Senegal in Nottingham on Tuesday.
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Andorra 0 England 1 – Tuchel’s men largely underwhelming, might they regret narrow win?
England endured a largely frustrating evening in Barcelona, as they scraped a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Andorra.
Thomas Tuchel’s team would have expected to rack up a more convincing score line against a team ranked 173rd in the world, but ended up with just Harry Kane’s second-half goal to show for their efforts.
The result leaves England top of their qualifying group but improved performances will surely be required later in the campaign.
The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon and Rob Tanner assess the key talking points…
GO FURTHER
Andorra 0 England 1 – Tuchel’s men largely underwhelming, might they regret narrow win?
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Thomas Tuchel has just been interviewed by ITV and could not hide his disappointment with his side’s laboured performance.
💬 “We’re not happy with the performance, of course. We started quite well in the first 20 or 25 minutes, but that was the only time it felt like it was only a matter of time.
“We created a lot of chances, half-chances and set pieces, and it felt like we were going to score and keep on going. But we completely lost our momentum and couldn't get it back for the whole of the first half.
“We got a little bit in the first 15 minutes of the second, but then ended up in a period which was by far not good enough. There was a lack of urgency, quality and energy.”
A slightly sheepish Harry Kane has just been interviewed by ITV.
💬 “It's one of those. For sure, we can play better. It wasn't our greatest performance, not a lot of people will remember it but we can learn from it.
“It's very hot, a dry pitch, very similar conditions to the World Cup next year. So we’ll go away and analyse, we had good spells in the game but we couldn't consistently have attack after attack. We take the points and move on.”
A game that will almost certainly be forgotten about come tomorrow morning is over.
England, courtesy of Harry Kane, won by a single goal, but their performance was nothing to shout home about. England’s fans booed them off at half time and there were a smattering at full time, too, such was the display.
Tuchel knows there is plenty of room for improvement, and there is enough time before next year’s World Cup to iron out any problems, but there is a lot of work to be done if England are going to be genuine contenders to win next year’s World Cup.
England win. Now let’s never speak of this again.
90+3’ Andorra 0-1 England
That sums it up! England break forward at the death but Gordon pokes Gibbs-White’s cross wide. Madueke prevents the ball from going out and the goal is at his mercy but he slots it straight at Alvarez.
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90+1’ Andorra 0-1 England
Morgan Gibbs-White is coming on, for some reason. He replaces Jude Bellingham with two minutes remaining.
90’ Andorra 0-1 England
There will be three minutes of additional time.
89’ Andorra 0-1 England
Noni Madueke goes down in the box after contact with Oliviera but the referee isn’t interested.
Garcia then breaks down the left for Andorra and crosses into the box but England clear.
88’ Andorra 0-1 England
It’s now 15 minutes since England last had a shot on target.
Thomas Tuchel is about to become the first England manager to win his first three games in charge without conceding … but this has been a dreadfully dreary performance.
81’ Andorra 0-1 England
Alexander-Arnold does indeed seize the ball but Reece James ends up taking the set-piece.
He should have left it to Alexander-Arnold. The Chelsea captain wafts the ball harmlessly over the bar. That’s an atrocious effort.
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Morgan Rogers is hacked down on the edge of the box and Alexander-Arnold’s eyes light up.
More changes for England. Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon are introduced, with Curtis Jones and Rogers making way.
Tuchel’s heart must have been in his mouth as Guillaume Lopez, an Andorran substitute, marauded into Jordan Pickford’s penalty area. His shot was eventually blocked, but it will serve as a reminder, no matter how little attacking Andorra are doing, that England only have a one goal lead going into the final 10 minutes.
77’ Andorra 0-1 England
That almost got interesting. Vales, who has only just come on, completely outfoxes Burn with a smart backhell into space. Lopez collects the ball and slaloms forward and, for a moment, it looks as though he’s clean through. But Konsa catches up and does well to block his shot before it troubles Pickford.
74’ Andorra 0-1 England
Brilliant save from Alvarez!
Jude Bellingham does ever so well in the penalty box, flicking the ball into a pocket of space and then chipping it across the face of goal. Eze gets up well above Borra and nods the ball towards goal, but Alvarez reads it well and does fantastically to tip it over the bar.
The corner comes to nothing. Alvarez is man of the match as it stands!
72’ Andorra 0-1 England
Another good pass from Curtis Jones releases Harry Kane into space down the right. The angle is too tight for England’s captain to shoot, so he cuts the ball back across the face of goal. Jude Bellingham hares forward to get involved but Kane’s pass is too far behind him and, once again, Andorra scramble it away to safety.
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69’ Andorra 0-1 England
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been lively since coming on a few moments ago. He takes a corner on the right-hand side and it’s a good delivery, although Borra heads it away.
The ball falls to Eze on the edge of the area who volleys it downward, into the turf. It’s a good idea but he cuts across it too much and the ball bounces wide of Alvarez’s right post.
65’ Andorra 0-1 England
Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces Jordan Henderson. Cole Palmer comes off for Eberechi Eze.
England shuffle things around. Alexander-Arnold goes to right-back. Jones shifts into midfield. And Madueke switches flanks to allow Eze space on the left.
63’ Andorra 0-1 England
Thomas Tuchel is about to shuffle his pack. Eberechi Eze and Trent Alexander-Arnold are getting ready.