Overview
England under coach Thomas Tuchel entered the match against Andorra at Villa Park, within the framework of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Group K, with the goal of maintaining a perfect record.
The "Three Lions" are still dominating the top of the table, but their last appearance set a less glorious milestone. Meanwhile, Andorra - a familiar opponent who often loses to England - is unlikely to create a surprise.
England under Tuchel have shown their strength in the first 4 matches, although there is still reason to be cautious. Three months ago, the former Chelsea and PSG coach suffered an unprecedented shock: a 1-3 defeat to Senegal at City Ground.
It was the first time an African side have beaten England, and only the second time in history that the Three Lions have lost at home by two or more goals after opening the scoring.
The optimism increased as England struggled to win at least 1-0 against Andorra in the previous match. However, 3 wins and 3 clean sheets still helped them maintain their overall record in Group K.
The "Three Lions" also overcame Albania and Latvia in March without conceding. However, the practical playing style bearing the mark of predecessor Gareth Southgate has made many fans not really satisfied.
Although his form is still controversial, England's World Cup qualifying statistics are still very impressive. They have been unbeaten for the past 15 years, since losing to Ukraine in 2009. And their most recent home defeat in the World Cup qualifiers was 25 years ago against Germany.
Meanwhile, Andorra do not need to look back too far to see a defeat in the World Cup qualifiers. After 4 matches in Group K, the team ranked 174th in the world is at the bottom of the table as predicted, in complete contrast to England's overall win and clean sheet.
With 0 points and 0 goals, they are behind Serbia, Albania and Latvia without leaving any mark.
In theory, Koldo Alvarez's team still has a chance to win the play-off spot with only 5 points behind Albania. However, even the most optimistic Andorra fans find it difficult to believe in a spectacular transformation.
The reality was much more detailed as in the last 10 matches in all competitions, Andorra's only victory came against San Marino. This is a rival that is considered a stronghold in Europe. In the remaining 9 matches, Andorra completely failed to score.
It is not surprising that the history of confrontations is also against them. Andorra have lost all seven previous meetings with England, Totaling 0-26. However, the minimal defeat last June was also the first time they avoided a heavy defeat against the EURO 2024 runner-up.
Personnel situation
England's training sessions are rarely complete. This time, the name that had to say goodbye was Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace. The midfielder was forced to leave the national team due to injury, thereby opening up a surprising comeback opportunity for Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
In addition, Djed Spence (Tottenham) and Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) were also named in the official list for the first time. The possibility of them being given a chance to debut is not small, because Tuchel will consider the encounter with Andorra as an opportunity to test personnel.
Meanwhile, Andorra coach Koldo Alvarez continues to put his faith in an experienced squad. At the age of 43, midfielder Marc Pujol is still in impressive form and will continue to wear the captain's armband.
In addition, midfielder Marc Vales is also preparing to reach the milestone of 101 appearances for Andorra. In goal, Iker Alvarez - a goalkeeper of the Cordoba squad (second division of Spain) - will continue to start.
Expected lineup:
Anh: D. Henderson, Livramento, Stones, Burn, Spence, Rice, J. Henderson, Bowen, Rogers, Rashford, Kane.
Andorra: Alvarez, Borra, Olivera, Llovera, San Nicolas, M. Garcia, Martinez, M. Vales, M. Rebes, Cervos, R. Fernandez.
The match between England and Andorra takes place at 23:00 on September 6 (Vietnam time).
