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England face Andorra in Barcelona today as Thomas Tuchel’s side look to maintain their perfect start to World Cup qualifying.
England: Pickford, Jones, Konsa, Burn, James, Bellingham, J Henderson, Madueke, Palmer, Rogers, Kane.
Andorra: Alvarez, Borra, Llovera, Marc Garcia, Olivera, San Nicolas, Rodrigo Tapia, Babot, Guillen, Cervos, Ricard Fernandez.
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HT: Andorra 0-0 England
England end the half with a good opportunity, but Bellingham nods Madueke’s cross straight at Alvarez.
And that’s that. England are booed off.
Jude Bellingham is dropping deeper and deeper in an attempt to get something going for England. This is pretty turgid stuff.
He collects the ball just inside Andorra’s half and lofts a ball over the top of their defence, inviting Cole Palmer to run forward. It’s a neat idea, but Alvarez gets to the ball first.
39’ Andorra 0-0 England
England are repeatedly pumping crosses into Andorra’s box but their five-man defence is holding up well. First Reece James’ lofted cross is nodded away. And then Jude Bellingham’s low drive into the box is repelled.
England need to get their foot on the ball. And they almost break through when Rogers waltzes around a couple of crosses and gets himself into a dangerous position. But, just as he’s about to pull the trigger in the box, Christian Garcia gets his body in the way.
34’ Andorra 0-0 England
Jude Bellingham grows bored and smashes another one towards goal from distance.
Same result as the first: he strikes it well but directly into the grateful arms of Alvarez.
Just over 30 minutes have been played and it has to be said that England have been pretty woeful. There is no intensity to their build-up play, with Andorra more than happy to sit incredibly deep. In the build up to the match, Tuchel spoke about trying new things to beat a team that puts every player behind the ball. If the first 30 minutes are anything to go by, it’s back to the drawing board for the England manager.
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32’ Andorra 0-0 England
England have completed 240 passes. Andorra have managed 32.
Madueke pops up with England’s 241st, after a neat give and go with Rogers. He digs a cross into Andorra’s box looking for Harry Kane but there are so many defenders stationed there and the ball is cleared.
There’s then a second penalty check after Bellingham trips in the box, but like the first, it doesn’t lead to anything.
30’ Andorra 0-0 England
Jude Bellingham gets a bit of a telling off from the referee for making one too many comments about his decisions. Bellingham needs to be careful. One more yellow and he will miss England’s next qualifier.
With little action on the pitch to shout home about, England’s travelling supporters have started taking aim at Keir Starmer, the United Kingdom’s prime minister. ‘Keir Starmer is a w***r’ is being sung.
24’ Andorra 0-0 England
Clumsy from Dan Burn, who catches Ricard Fernandez on the Achilles to end a rare Andorra attack.
This is a good chance for the nominal home side, around thirty yards out on the right. But Cervos’ delivery is poor and easily cleared by Bellingham.
The ball falls to Borra and his eyes light up … but he slashes an ambitious shot well over the bar.
19’ Andorra 0-0 England
How are England not in front?!
Noni Madueke somehow locates a pocket of space in Andorra’s stuffed final third and scampers away down the left. He pulls the ball back across the face of goal but it misses the onrushing Harry Kane by a few millimetres.
No matter: Curtis Jones arrives down the right and tries the same trick.
This time Kane gets the ball, but the pass is ever so slightly behind him and all he can do is awkwardly prod the ball wide!
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15’ Andorra 0-0 England
Cole Palmer whips in another England corner. It’s a good delivery and Harry Kane is lurking menacingly, but Andorra scramble it away, despite Alvarez rushing off his line and flapping at it.
England have had a frankly hilarious 91% possession but are struggling to create anything at the moment.
10’ Andorra 0-0 England
Ezri Konsa is hauled down in the box after ambling forward for a corner but the referee isn’t interested.
There is a brief check … but it’s cleared. No penalty and England are yet to find a breakthrough.
He may not be in Spain, or even in Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Senegal, but that hasn’t stopped England’s fans singing Phil Foden’s name for the last couple of minutes.
4’ Andorra 0-0 England
Oh, hello! Reece James gives the ball away on the left to Rodrigo Tapia, who slaloms his way forward and roulettes the ball around Cole Palmer! James isn’t impressed and hauls him down.
Andorra go backwards from the free-kick and then promptly lose the ball in their own half.
It was nice while it lasted!
1’ Andorra 0-0 England
Andorra are in a very flat 5-4-1 shape. Meanwhile Curtis Jones is stationed far up the pitch for England, who are leaving just the three at the back.
Jude Bellingham has the first shot and he hits it well from around thirty yards out, albeit directly into the midriff of Alvarez, who clutches the ball gratefully to his chest.
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After the respective national anthems are played in Barcelona, Jude Bellingham gets us underway.
The two teams are in the tunnel and it’s almost time for kick-off.
Thomas Tuchel has just confirmed in a pre-match interview with ITV that Curtis Jones will start today’s match on the right-hand side of defence, but will quickly move forward.
💬 “Jones will be a right full-back but with between 70 per cent and 80 per cent possession he will play a higher role as a No8, No10.”