Birmingham, September 21, 2025 – In what proved to be one of the greatest moments in the history of football, England, decimating a 2-0 win over a minnows Andorra on the Villa Park grounds, September 6, the national team grounded out a victory. The Three Lions were on a flawless run of four wins in four under the scrutiny of head coach Thomas Tuchel in terms of their perfect qualification in the World Cup 2026, but not without revealing the same weaknesses against tight defences. Match, which belongs to UEFA Group K, involved England having all the ball but lacking fluency, having to resort to the opportunistic use of set-pieces as well as personal genius, as their obstinate foes were eliminated.

The Pre-Kickoff

The pre-kickoff announced lineups were the precursor of a chess game of tactics. Tuchel decided to use a mixture of experience and young talent, and he gave starts to fringe players instead of stars in the next Serbia match. In 174th place in the world ranking, Andorra lined up in a time-honoured 5-4-1 formation, with the intention to frustrate and counter. This was no match on paper, which was how England was continuing to evolve since the failure of the Euromania 2024, and in this case, a more pragmatic advantage was assured with the arrival of Tuchel. Two weeks later, the dust has settled, and analysts are performing an autopsy of the role that these choices played. Having moved to the top of Group K with 12 points, the victory with an early own goal and a header by Declan Rice gives life to the dream of qualification. However, a sense of complacency persists, and fans and pundits are all asking themselves whether this squad can indeed serve to beat the best in the world. Here in this comprehensive analysis, we dissect the lineups, key moments, stars of the show, and tactical details which made up the evening.

The Starting Lineups – A Tale of Experience vs. Resilience

England’s Starting XI (4-2-3-1)

GK: Jordan Pickford – The Everton goalie, who is always available, was not much tested but was in control of his box on crosses. RB: Reece James – The captain of the day at Chelsea gave overlapping runs, which he assisted with a precision cross to score the second goal. CB: Marc Guehi – The confident defender of Crystal Palace was at the head of the defence to thwart infrequent Andorran raids. CB: Dan Burn – The towering figure of Newcastle acquired his third cap and dominated in the air during duels. LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly – The teenage sensation of Arsenal made his first full debut, demonstrating calmness beyond his years. CM: Elliot Anderson – Newcastle’s box-to-box debutant dictated the pace with Rice. CM: Declan Rice – Arsenal’s talisman scored the goal and played midfield with 92% pass accuracy. RW: Noni Madueke – Chelsea’s winger dazzled with dribbles and provoked the own goal. AM: Eberechi Eze – Palace’s creative power tested the keeper with curling attempts. LW: Marcus Rashford – The Manchester United speedster lacked end product. ST: Harry Kane (c) – Bayern Munich’s record striker, on 108 caps, nearly equalled Bobby Moore’s mark.

Andorra’s Starting XI (5-4-1)

GK: Iker Alvarez – Made several key saves, including a stop from Eze. RCB: Max Llovera – Rock-solid in defence, blocked multiple shots. CB: Christian Garcia – Scored the own goal, but was otherwise steady. LCB: Ian Olivera – Key in intercepting passes and maintaining the low block. RWB: Biel Borra – Reluctantly advanced, mainly tracking Rashford. LWB: Moises San Nicolas – Used physicality to contain Madueke after halftime. RM: Aron Rodrigo – Added width but struggled against James. CM: Marc Vales (c) – Inspirational captain, made 12 tackles. CM: Pau Babot – Shielded the defence but struggled in possession. LM: Joan Cervos – Provided rare counter outlets. ST: Ricard Fernandez – Lone striker, forced Pickford into a save.

Significant Highlights: Own Goal Chaos to Ice on Fire Redemption by Rice

25’ – Own Goal (England 1-0): Madueke’s cross forced Garcia into an own goal. 32’ – Kane Hits the Post: A volley from Kane struck the woodwork. 45’ – Eze Denied: Alvarez saved a curling shot brilliantly. 67’ – Rice Header (England 2-0): James delivered a perfect cross for Rice. 78’ – VAR No-Penalty: Rashford went down, but VAR denied penalty claims. 85’ – Gibbs-White Effort: Late substitute’s shot was parried.

Excellent Acting: Heroes and Near-Misses

Man of the Match: Declan Rice (8/10) – Dominant midfield display and a goal. Madueke (7.5/10) – Dribbling threat and assist contribution. Lewis-Skelly – Composed debut with 88% passing. Kane – Effective link-up but wasteful finishing. Rashford (6/10) – Peripheral before substitution. Andorra’s Marc Vales (8/10) – Heroic defensive effort. Alvarez – 5 crucial saves kept the scoreline respectable.

Tactical Insights: Under the Microscope, the Pragmatism of Tuchel

Tuchel summed it up: “It was like chewing gum; tough to break down.” England’s high press forced turnovers, but Andorra’s deep block forced sideways passes. The 4-2-3-1 offered control but lacked penetration until Rice’s goal. Crosses (7 attempted, two successful) highlighted inefficiency, and England’s xG of 2.1 from 22 shots showed wastefulness. Tuchel rotated 40% of his squad, prioritising Serbia preparation, but raised concerns over attacking ruthlessness.

Head-to-Head History: England vs Andorra

Matches Played	England wins	Andorra wins	Draws	England goals	Andorra goals
Overall (Including Sep 6, 2025)	8	0	0	28	0
World Cup Qualifiers	6	0	0	22	0
Euro Qualifiers	2	0	0	6	0

Future Projections: The England World Cup Future

England’s qualification looks strong, but wastefulness mirrors their Euro 2024 semi-final issues. Tuchel’s gamble on youth like Lewis-Skelly worked, but composure and ruthlessness remain questions. Serbia on October 9 looms as the next big test. Social media briefly saw the #TuchelOut trend, although analysts applauded the clean sheet. Injuries to John Stones and Adam Wharton mean selection headaches. For Andorra, resilience and pride remain intact after eight defeats without scoring, but with defensive solidity. Conclusion: This lineup-centric victory showed England’s pedigree but exposed lingering inefficiencies. With World Cup 2026 approaching, Tuchel’s tactical balance between youth and experience will decide if the Three Lions roar or stumble.