England grind past Andorra as style questions linger ahead of Serbia test
The cheers at Villa Park were more relieved than rapturous. England beat Andorra 2-0 on Saturday in Birmingham, a result that keeps Thomas Tuchel’s side perfect in World Cup qualifying. Yet the manner of it—a labored first half, a breakthrough via an own goal, and a second from a set of impeccable delivery and timing—left a near-40,000 crowd murmuring about whether this team is edging toward pragmatism over panache.
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On a night when England had 83% of the ball but seldom had Andorra sprawling, the opener came in the 25th minute when a zipping cross from Noni Madueke skimmed off defender Christian Garcia’s head and into his own net, with Harry Kane prowling at the back post. The second, a cleaner strike of intent, arrived on 67 minutes: Reece James lifted in a superb cross and Declan Rice met it with a downward header past Iker Alvarez to end any debate about dropped points.
It was professional, controlled, and useful. It was not particularly thrilling.
A night of control without spark
Andorra, a nation of roughly 80,000 nestled in the Pyrenees, did what they do: they defended in layers, nine men in their own half, and left Ricard Fernandez to chase shadows up front. It was stubborn and, for long stretches, effective. England’s most incisive first-half moments were isolated: Eberechi Eze forced a stop, Kane flashed a toe-poke just wide, and Marcus Rashford curled one beyond the far post. Otherwise, the ball moved safely, sometimes slowly, from side to side.
If there was a motif, it was England’s crossing. Madueke’s invitation led to the own goal, James’ delivery to the clincher. Between those bookends, the hosts played within themselves, as if aware that patience would be rewarded against the world’s 174th-ranked side. It was the right call—eventually—but it won’t silence those who long for a bit more razzle from a team that includes Kane, Rashford, and the mercurial talents around them.
Tuchel’s verdict: points now, polish to follow
Thomas Tuchel has made a habit of results since taking charge, and the numbers are stark: four wins from four in Group K, in command on 12 points, and England remain unbeaten in their last 35 World Cup qualifiers, with 27 victories. “I am absolutely convinced we are on the right path,” Tuchel said afterward. “Today it was a good performance, a deserved result, we should have won with more goals. I’m okay with that. We take more positives than negatives.”
He praised Elliot Anderson, the midfielder making his international debut. “I think he passed the test,” Tuchel said, noting Anderson had been “a bit nervous in camp” but still produced “a very good game.” With Serbia up next on Tuesday and billed as the group’s toughest examination, Tuchel added England would try to “prove a point” against higher-grade opposition. Serbia beat Latvia 1-0 on Saturday and trail England with seven points from three matches in the five-team group. Only the group winners qualify automatically; runners-up must navigate a playoff.
Anderson’s calm amid the churn
The debut was perhaps the evening’s most illuminating subplot. Anderson was tidy, composed, and quick in combination, even if the opposition did not stretch him the way a Premier League afternoon often would for Nottingham Forest. He looked at ease in the shirt—more evidence that England’s midfield refresh is taking shape beneath the marquee names. Whether he starts in Belgrade will be Tuchel’s call, but on this evidence, he didn’t seem out of place.
Andorra’s discipline—and a teachable lapse
Andorra coach Koldo Alvarez, whose teams are always well-drilled, lamented the moment that released the pressure valve. “For the first goal, everyone can make a mistake, but the second one, we’ve been working hard all week, that should not happen,” he said. “I have to congratulate my players, because I think we have played quite well. We know it’s difficult, but we try and improve every time. We know that even giving 100% like today, sometimes it’s not enough, but this is how we go forward.”
His pride is understandable. It’s one of international football’s persistent paradoxes: giants face teams with small pools and limited resources, and yet those teams, with time and repetition, learn how to slow the game to a crawl. Andorra sat, shuffled, and notched the game down by several beats. It took an own goal to puncture the plan, and even then, they rarely lost their shape.
What the result means—and what comes next
England’s fourth win in four keeps them clear at the top. Serbia, their main rivals in Group K, wait on Tuesday in a game that will tell us more about Tuchel’s England than a long Saturday night against deep-lying defenders. Expect an atmosphere with teeth and a faster tempo than Villa Park’s. Set pieces, which delivered Rice’s header, look decisive in tight games; so does width, where James and Madueke supplied the rare bursts of menace.
Andorra sit bottom after five defeats. Most of their qualifying nights will look like this: contained, honest and, more often than not, decided by a moment they can’t quite prevent.
Beauty, efficiency, and the long road to a trophy
English football has always wrestled with its identity—bravado versus balance, romance versus results. That conversation will trail this team to Serbia and beyond. Tournament football rarely rewards the cavalier; it favors the meticulous. But can a team that relies on control find a gear that still thrills when it matters? England have not lifted a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, a fact that hangs like mist over every qualification stroll. Grinding past smaller nations is a baseline. Persuading the public that there’s a crescendo building is the harder act.
Saturday’s match offered enough material for both camps. The defense barely wobbled. The midfield, with Anderson bedding in, looked stable. Crosses from James and runs from Madueke supplied an attacking route that doesn’t require elaborate patterns. Yet the rhythm—the snap in the passes, the numbers flooding the box—came and went. Against Serbia, that margin for drift will be finer.
For now, Tuchel’s ledger reads perfectly in qualifiers. The bigger test, as ever, lies in the translation: can this careful, controlled England become something sharper against the teams who force them to be? If Saturday was a necessary step, Tuesday may be a revealing stride.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
