Three Lions fly to Spain for World Cup Qualifier.
After making a successful start to their bid for a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, England travel for their first away fixture of the competition on Saturday. Thomas Tuchel’s return to action when they face Andorra at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona. Can the mighty Englishmen continue their unbeaten run?
England have already been tagged as one of the outer favourites to capture the World Cup trophy in USA, Canada and Mexico next year. However, it all starts with the qualifying event. The Three Lions started strong, beating Albania (2-0) and Latvia (3-0) at home in March. Yet, their German head coach demanded more focus and dominance on the ball for the upcoming games.
On the other hand, Andorra have started their World Cup Qualifiers campaign with two defeats at the hands of the same opposition as England. With only three wins in the past three years, the Andorrans will be minnows heading into Saturday’s marquee clash. Due to the unavailability of Andorra’s national stadium, they will be forced to play this home fixture at a neutral venue in Spain.
England and Andorra have faced each other on six separate occasions. Taking official matches into consideration, the head-to-head between the two teams stands at:
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In their last five clashes, the head-to-head statistics between these two teams stands at:
The most recent contest between England and Andorra was at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, and it happened in 2021. The Three Lions triumphed 5-0 on the night. Interestingly, the men in white are yet to concede a goal in six encounters against their European opponents.
| Date | Winner | Score | Competition |
| October 9, 2021 | England | 5-0 | FIFA World Cup Qualifiers |
| September 5, 2021 | England | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup Qualifiers |
| June 10, 2009 | England | 6-0 | FIFA World Cup Qualifiers |
| September 6, 2008 | England | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup Qualifiers |
| March 28, 2007 | England | 3-0 | UEFA Euros |
| September 2, 2006 | England | 5-0 | UEFA Euros |
Tuchel has made some tweaks to his initial squad from the previous games, adding more venom to his midfield and attack. Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White have received call-ups, meaning that there could be some experiments for the #10 role. There is severe competition for the right-back position too – with Trent Alexander-Arnold returning from injury, he could be slotted in over Kyle Walker and Reece James. Bukayo Saka’s inclusion bolsters the attacking third for the Three Lions.
With the likes of Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden being omitted, England will undergo several changes. If Andorra is to take advantage of this, Albert Rosas – who is likely to play as a solitary #9 – must have a solid outing. Despite a long 23-man squad, it is unlikely that there will be any major changes for the Andorrans.
England are the firm favourites to win this tie, as per the pre-match markets. They are likely to seal the deal without much resistance – possibly keeping a clean sheet in the process. Here are the odds:
England Win: 2/11 (Sky Bet)
England Clean Sheet: 4/9 (Paddy Power)
Andorra Win: 80/1 (Sky Bet)
