England vs Andorra: World Cup qualifier at Villa Park ends 2-0 as Rice seals perfect start

England get it done, but slowly

Eighty‑three percent of the ball, a clean sheet, two goals, and yet the loudest emotion at Villa Park was relief. England beat Andorra 2-0 on Saturday to keep a perfect start in 2026 qualifying, but the performance felt like hard work. From the first whistle at 5pm BST, live on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player, it looked like attack versus defence. The Three Lions prodded and probed. Andorra stacked bodies. Patience won out in the end.

Thomas Tuchel’s side are now four wins from four in Group K, with eight scored and none conceded. The breakthrough came on 25 minutes when Christian García González turned into his own net under pressure from a driven ball across the six-yard box. Declan Rice settled it midway through the second half, sweeping home a calm finish in the 67th minute to kill any nerves that lingered around Villa Park.

England’s manager called it “more positives than negatives” and promised his team would “prove a point” next time out. That felt about right. The control was never in doubt; the edge still is. Andorra’s deep block slowed the tempo, and England didn’t always find the gears to rip it open.

The line-up offered more intrigue than the match. Elliot Anderson made his debut after his first senior call-up, starting alongside Rice in midfield. Jordan Pickford had a quiet night behind a back four of Reece James, Marc Guéhi, Dan Burn and teenage left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly. Ahead of them, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze worked the half-spaces, Marcus Rashford tucked inside from the left, and Harry Kane led the line as captain.

The plan was clear: stretch the pitch with the wingers and full-backs, then thread passes into gaps that opened as Andorra shuffled side to side. England recycled possession patiently, switching angles and waiting for a mistake. The issue? Andorra made very few. Lines stayed tight, distances stayed small, and any risky ball was met with a block or a clearance. It was all tidy without being sharp.

When the opener finally arrived, it was messy rather than masterful. A low ball fizzed across goal, García lunged, and the net bulged. Relief rippled around Villa Park more than celebration. England kept the ball moving but struggled to pile up clear chances before halftime. Crosses came and went, shots were crowded out, and Kane often found himself dropping deep just to connect play and draw defenders out.

The second half started with more intent. Eze began receiving between the lines and driving at a tired defence. Rashford took up narrower positions to combine with Kane, while James stepped on to deliver earlier service from the right. The change didn’t explode the game, but it tilted it. Rice’s goal underlined it: a late run from midfield, one clean touch, and a drilled finish Andorra couldn’t smother.

What will please Tuchel most is how little his defence had to sweat. Guéhi and Burn won their duels, protected the middle, and recycled attacks without fuss. Lewis-Skelly, still a teenager, kept his passing simple and stayed switched on to Andorra’s rare counters down his flank. Pickford’s gloves were almost clean when the final whistle blew; Andorra never really threatened to make a night of it.

Anderson’s debut offered a useful data point. He looked comfortable receiving on the half-turn and rarely gave the ball away, even if his risk-taking was limited. Next to him, Rice did the heavy lifting—breaking up the odd transition, keeping play ticking, and stepping on to decide it. That balance is one to watch as the games get tougher.

There were hints of what Tuchel wants this team to be: more rotation in midfield, wider starting positions for the wingers, and an insistence on control over chaos. Against a deep block, though, control alone won’t always cut it. England needed more one-touch combinations around the box, more third-man runs, more movement to unbalance a compact shape. Too often the ball went wide, came back, and went wide again. The crowd felt that rhythm, and the game drifted with it.

Andorra did what Andorra do well. They sat in a low 5-4-1, delayed restarts, took bites at ankles, and defended their six-yard box like a treasure chest. The centre-backs cleared their lines without apology, and the keeper handled the aerial workload bravely. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective enough to keep the score down and the contest awkward for long stretches.

Still, four games in and England sit top of Group K with 12 points and a perfect defensive record. Serbia follow with seven points from three, then Albania on five from four. The Serbia fixture will tell us more. England won’t get as much time on the ball, the press will bite harder, and transitions will be sharper. That’s where Tuchel’s ideas will be tested for real—and where the choice of midfield partner for Rice becomes a bigger call than it was at Villa Park.

The venue mattered too. Away from Wembley, Villa Park has a different feel—closer to the pitch, quicker to groan at slow play, faster to surge when the tempo lifts. England responded best after halftime when the passes got braver and the movements snappier. The lesson is simple: keep the control, add more punch.

For the wingers, the target is clearer decision-making. Madueke’s one-v-ones asked questions but the final ball didn’t always arrive. Eze looked the likeliest to unlock the block and will feel he did enough to keep his place. Rashford’s inside runs helped create lanes for Lewis-Skelly to overlap, though the final action rarely matched the build-up. Kane’s off-ball work drew defenders out and created space for Rice’s winner—subtle influence that matters when the game is cramped.

As for the big picture, this was a functional step, not a statement. England left with the points, the clean sheet, and a debut blooded. The finishing wasn’t ruthless, but the structure held up and the patience never broke. Tuchel sounded calm and a little defiant afterwards. He knows the noise changes when the opponent does.

Key moments and what comes next

• Kick-off at 5pm BST: England dominate the early possession but struggle to speed up around the box.
• 25’ Own goal: Christian García González turns a driven cross into his net to break the deadlock.
• Half-time: England in control, Andorra pinned back, chances still limited.
• 67’ Rice makes it 2-0: a composed finish from the edge of the box settles the night.
• Full-time: Four wins from four, eight scored, none conceded; Serbia up next.

What worked? The defensive platform, Rice’s authority, and the comfort of long spells on the ball. What didn’t? The lack of snap in the final third and the slow speed of combinations in crowded areas. Those are fixable. With Serbia on the horizon, training this week will likely lean toward quicker patterns, earlier deliveries, and more aggressive runs through the middle.

For anyone tracking the numbers, the story mirrors the feel: towering possession, few clear chances given away, and a steady trickle of opportunities rather than a flood. That’s fine against a low block as long as you score first. England did, eventually twice, and never let Andorra sniff an upset.

It wasn’t a fireworks show. It didn’t need to be. The job got done, the table looks healthy, and the next test is the kind that can move the needle. By then, we’ll find out if this measured version of England can turn control into cutting edge when the pressure rises. For now, the headline reads simple and true: England vs Andorra finished 2-0, and the perfect start keeps rolling.