England 2-0 Andorra: Madueke Shines as Tuchel’s Side Stays Perfect in World Cup Qualifying

England beat Andorra 2-0 at Villa Park, winning all three points to keep them top of the group.

They’ve now won four out of four games with four clean sheets. Next, they face Serbia on Tuesday night at 7pm, the toughest match yet between the top two sides in the group.

There were multiple chances throughout both halves, with England controlling 83% of possession and producing seven shots on target, two of which found the net.

The opener came in the 25th minute when Noni Madueke, onto his left foot, lifted the ball into the box where Andorra’s Christian Garcia inadvertently headed it past his own goalkeeper. Madueke looked like England’s most threatening player throughout the first half.

After the break, England continued to create openings, forcing Andorra goalkeeper Iker Álvarez into five saves. He was, without question, the visitors’ standout performer.

England’s second goal arrived in the 67th minute. Reece James delivered a superb cross, and Declan Rice met it with a header to double the lead. It was Rice’s sixth goal for England and also his final contribution before being replaced by Morgan Rogers.

It is still difficult to see Thomas Tuchel’s clear imprint on this England side.

This squad could well resemble the one picked for the 2026 World Cup, but several key players are currently missing through injury including Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham. Tuchel has said that the first two camps are about experimenting, with the third and fourth focused on refining. On top of that, players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish were left out of the squad this international break altogether. What does that say about their place in Tuchel’s plans for next year’s tournament? And will this current group form the foundation of England’s squad next summer?

England now turn to Serbia their toughest challenge in the group so far. Andorra, still searching for their first win in the qualifiers, face Latvia next