Andorra 0-1 England: World Cup 2026 qualifier - as it happened

52m ago 14.19 EDT Thomas Tuchel: 'I didn't like our attitude' We’re not happy with the performance. The first 20-25 minutes is the only part that had the feeling it was a matter of time before we scored. But we lost the momentum and couldn’t get it back for the rest of the first half. We got a little bit back in the first 15 minutes of the second half, and then ended up in a period that was by far not good enough. There was a lack of urgency, a lack of quality and a lack of energy. It’s just what it is. We can admit that it’s not what we expect from ourselves and we need to do better. [On Noni Madueke] He was maybe over the course of the match the most dangerous, the most active. I could feel his hunger and desire to [follow the plan]. Yeah, he was one of the few. We had a good first 25 minutes, when we played to our plan, but we couldn’t keep it up. The energy, rhythm, the determination was not there any more; also there was a lack of quality in the details. [What’s your message to the players?] It’s what I’ve said to you just now. I told them I was most worried in the last 20 minutes because I did not like the attitude with which we ended this game. It felt almost like [lets his shoulder sag like Kevin the Teenager when asked to do the washing-up], ‘We have to play it until the 93rd minute.’ It’s still a World Cup qualifier away from home. I didn’t like it at all. The players know all this because I said it in the dressing-room. It’s also necessary to have a look in detail, watch the match again, and we will let them know tomorrow what we want from them. Share Updated at 14.23 EDT

1h ago 14.03 EDT Harry Kane (72 not out) reacts It’s one of those. We can play better, it wasn’t our greatest performance, but we can learn from it. It’s very hot here, dry pitch, probably similar conditions to next year at the World Cup. We had good spells but we couldn’t consistently have attack after attack. We take the three points and move on. We probably weren’t good enough on the ball – we kept giving it away, which gave them confidence and energy. It is what it is. [On Noni Madueke] He was a constant threat today and he got the assist as well. We need more of that – we’ve got amazing players and you need one v one quality in these games. The June camp is never easy after a long season, but we got what we needed. Share

1h ago 14.00 EDT The ITV panel are being fairly critical of England. Karen Carney says they “looked in holiday mode”, Roy Keane thought their attitude after the goal “wasn’t great… it looked like they got bored”. Share

1h ago 13.58 EDT “Ten years ago I saw Cate Le Bon and Manic Street Preachers play a club in San Francisco,” writes Peter Oh. “I’m only sharing this to try to impress Matt Dony.” I’m sure he’s with you now. Share

1h ago 13.56 EDT Noni Madueke was the biggest plus for England; he made Kane’s goal and was consistently dangerous. Morgan Rogers had his moments and Curtis Jones, nominally the right-back, played a brilliant pass in the build-up to the goal. Share

1h ago 13.54 EDT Full time: Andorra 0-1 England England put the ‘win’ in ‘no-win situation’ thanks to Harry Kane’s second-half goal. It was a forgettable game – who was playing again – and rightly or wrongly England will be criticised for creating only a handful of chances against the world’s 173rd best team. Share

1h ago 13.53 EDT 90+3 min England miss an excellent chance to make it 2-0 on the break, with Gordon missing an attempted volley from Gibbs-White’s cross and Madueke unable to score from a very tight angle. Share

1h ago 13.49 EDT 90 min Just the three minutes of added time. England are almost home. Share

1h ago 13.49 EDT 89 min England’s next game, a friendly against Senegal on Tuesday, should be a whole lot more entertaining. I think you can hear a few boos from the England fans on the TV, but really, this was always going to end somewhere 4-0 and 1-0. Games like this are a necessary evil. Share

1h ago 13.45 EDT 87 min “Hello from the RCDE,” writes my colleague Philip Cornwall. “When it comes to par, I’m looking at yellow cards as well as goals, with nil being the aim for both. Steve McLaren’s side picked up three across town in 2007, Ashley Cole, Owen Hargreaves and Wayne Rooney. Capello got the two nils, but Southgate had Conor Coady, Jadon Sancho and John Stones booked when they actually played in Andorra. “Goal difference is the first tie-breaker and then goals scored, rather than head-to-head, so adding another two or three could be handy down the road, though it would look like failure to need that route.” Share

1h ago 13.44 EDT 86 min England are passing the ball around. If a second goal comes, great; if not, a win is a win is an oh lord have you seen those headlines. Share

1h ago 13.44 EDT 85 min “To be clear, it’s a music festival of Welsh acts,” says Matt Dony. “Mainly singing in the Welsh language. Welsh music is actually in a really good place at the moment. I’m currently enjoying Adwaith (big up Carmarthen), and everyone should check out their recent album Solas. In football terms, I hope Madrid’s Trent plays well. I really do. I mean, I can’t say it doesn’t hurt, but I wish him well.” You’ll be thrilled to hear this inadvertently patronising Englishman agrees with you on the health of Welsh music. Huw Stephens plays loads on 6Music; I really like Don Leisure’s newish album. Share

1h ago 13.41 EDT 83 min: Andorra substitution Eric de Las Heras Izquierdo replaces a weary Joel Guillen Garcia. Share

1h ago 13.41 EDT 82 min James hits Row K, the end. Share

2h ago 13.40 EDT 81 min England have a free-kick 22 yards from goal, left of centre. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James are over it… Share

2h ago 13.39 EDT 80 min: Double substitution Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon replaces Morgan Rogers and Curtis Jones. Share

2h ago 13.38 EDT 78 min “Silvio Dante was a huge pragmatist,” says Chris Sheppard. “He’d play with a false nine every single time.” He wasn’t cut out for the top job anyway. The asthma! Share

2h ago 13.36 EDT Chance for Andorra 76 min Hello! The substitute Guillaume Lopez collects a flick 25 yards from goal, beats Burn’s lunging tackle and scurries straight into the penalty area. Konsa, the only defender between Lopez and the goal, moves across calmly to block Lopez’s. That’s really good defending, especially as he’s had so little to do for the first 75 minutes. Share

2h ago 13.34 EDT 75 min: Andorra substitutions Jesus Rubio, with whom nobody messes, and Eric Vales replace Biel Borro and Pau Babot. Share

2h ago 13.33 EDT 74 min If it finishes 1-0 there will be plenty of grumbling from the media and England supporters. In situations like this, as a neutral, I find it hard to look beyond the events of 28 March 2001. No, not Scotland 4-0 San Marino, I’m talking about Ecuador 1-0 Brazil. It was a disgrace, a disaster, an unprecedented humiliation… and 15 months later it was a mere footnote in the story of Brazil’s fifth World Cup win. Share

2h ago 13.33 EDT Good save by Alvarez! 73 min After another good run from Madueke, Bellingham stands up a delicious cross that is headed towards goal by Eze. Alvarez leaps to push it over the bar, a pretty good stop. Share

2h ago 13.29 EDT 70 min “A Mac Millings XI of best sports-related chat up lines would be quite something,” flutters Simon McMahon. “Doué come here often? Is that a Kanu in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me, that kind of thing.” Unsubscribe. Share

2h ago 13.28 EDT 69 min Bellingham wins another corner for England, their 11th, with a purposeful run down the right. Alexander-Arnold takes, Alvarez punches to the edge of the area and Eze’s shot through the crowd bounces well wide. Share

2h ago 13.25 EDT 66 min “I agree with David Wall, I find it baffling that players don’t shoot more often from distance,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Even if the ball doesn’t go in, it makes the defense worry and step up, which creates space for the forwards to run into. It’s too predictable, when the attack is always aiming to shoot from ten yards out or less.” Look, in the words of Silvio Dante, I’M JUST TELLING YOU HOW LONG-RANGE SHOOTING IS £$!*”! PERCEIVED! (NB: Clip contains adult language, lots of adult language.) Share

2h ago 13.25 EDT 66 min England’s attacking trio is now Eze on the left, Madueke on the right and Rogers at No10. Share

2h ago 13.24 EDT 65 min: Double substitution for Andorra Guillaume Lopez and Christian Garcia Gonzalez replace ‘Cucu’ Fernandez and Aron Rodrigo Tapia. Share

2h ago 13.23 EDT 64 min: Double substitution for England Eberechi Eze and Trent Alexander-Arnold replace Cole Palmer and Jordan Henderson. Share Updated at 13.24 EDT

2h ago 13.22 EDT 62 min Madueke springs into action again. He moves into the area, chops away from a defender but shoots too close to Alvarez with his right foot. A decent effort at the end of another excellent run. His urgency and penetration have stood out all game. Share

2h ago 13.20 EDT 61 min A mishit pass from Kane turns into a long-range lob that Alvarez saves under the crossbar. Comfortable enough. Share

2h ago 13.19 EDT 60 min The lone striker Fernandez shoots over from 20 yards after a good run into the channel. He has embraced a very lonely role with gusto. Share

2h ago 13.17 EDT 58 min The impressive Madueke spins behind his man, onto a lofted pass from Palmer, and slides another low ball that is claimed by the keeper Alvarez. Madueke has been England’s best player so far. Share

2h ago 13.16 EDT 58 min “Seeing as this game is making Celebrity Bridge of Lies with Ross Kemp on BBC 1 seem appealing, I need some clarification from Matt Dony (4.59pm),” says Simon McMahon. “Is he at a ‘Welsh music’ festival, or a ‘Welsh’ music festival? Is it Max Boyce or Manic Street Preachers headlining?” Share

2h ago 13.16 EDT 56 min England look more relaxed since the goal, as you’d expect. Andorra have defended well but they score so few goals – three in the last 18 games – that the contest is almost certainly over. Share

2h ago 13.14 EDT 54 min I’m trying to evaluate what a par score would be in this game. Three-nil? Four-nil? Share

2h ago 13.11 EDT 51 min “A dollop of boos from England fans at half-time,” writes Alex W, who is at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona. “Not angry, more grumpy and sleepy from 7,000 people who’ve been drinking from midday. I wonder how long it will take England fans to work out that playing against a team in a low block with no intention of scoring is hard? “It happens multiple times a year, everyone loses their marbles crying that Kane, Bellingham et al can’t hammer a poorly ranked team 10-0, and come tournament time it makes absolutely no difference at all. And yet, round and round the merry-go-round we go...” Define madness for me. I dare you, I double-dare you. Share Updated at 13.12 EDT

2h ago 13.11 EDT Harry Kane has scored his 72nd goal for England. Jones (I think) shaped an outstanding ball behind the defence towards Kane, whose shot on the stretch was well saved by Alvarez. The loose ball ran to Madueke, who screwed it across the face of goal for Kane to slide in from a couple of yards. Share

2h ago 13.06 EDT 47 min “I’ll ask you out,” writes Mac Millings, an opening gambit that just oozes enthusiasm. “As long as you pay for your own ticket to South Carolina. And pay for dinner. And drinks. And a room at a seedy motel. And whatever doctors nowadays prescribe for regret.” Share

2h ago 13.04 EDT 46 min Peep peep! Andorra begin the second half. No changes, yet. After 18 seconds Fernandez shoots across goal and well wide from the left edge of the area. Share Updated at 13.06 EDT

2h ago 12.49 EDT Half time: Andorra 0-0 England Bellingham’s flicked header is comfortably saved by Alvarez, the last action of an uneventful first half. Andorra have restricted England to four shots on target, three from distance, and only one really good chance. Tohmas Tuchel won’t panic – he’s seen this storyline played out so many times before – but nor will he be full of the joys after England’s muted first half performance. Share

2h ago 12.46 EDT 42 min “I never understand why professional players don’t shoot from distance more often,” says David Wall. “Most of them can probably put the ball in the top corner at will from around 20-25 yards. Of course when the opposition are closing down intensely there is more pressure when taking a shot but in a game like this, with a super-deep defensive line, it seems a better option than trying to work your way through a packed defence.” I think it’s partly because of the increased use of data, which shows it is a relatively poor option. Not certain on that though. And, as you say, evaluating it as a strategy when you’re playing against a parked bus. Share

2h ago 12.41 EDT 38 min Rogers beats two defenders with some dizzying footwork on the right side of the area, only for his cutback to be intercepted at the near post. Moments later Rogers over from 25 yards. Share

3h ago 12.38 EDT 36 min An injury to an Andorra player allows everyone else to get a drink and, in England’s case, receive some instructions from Thomas Tuchel. Share

3h ago 12.36 EDT 34 min Madueke lobs a return pass back towards Bellingham, who cuts across a sweet strike from 25 yards. It’s swerves straight into the loving embrace of Alvarez. Share Updated at 12.37 EDT

3h ago 12.35 EDT 32 min Madueke, who has been England’s liveliest attacker to date, wanders over to the right, beats his man through sleight of hip and lifts a cross on the turn that hits a defender and leads to a VAR check for handball. Not exactly sure what happened but it was cleared pretty quickly. Share Updated at 12.35 EDT

3h ago 12.34 EDT 31 min “This is going well,” says Brian Withington. “Particularly enjoying Cole Palmer’s corners - clearly a James Ward-Prowse tribute act in terms of the standardised outcome : reputation ratio.” Please don’t talk to me about ratios, Brian, I had a cholesterol test yesterday. Share Updated at 12.35 EDT

3h ago 12.32 EDT 30 min Rogers pushes the ball into the area for Kane, and Garcia comes across to make a strong tackle, one he celebrates like an Andorran Joelinton. Share

3h ago 12.30 EDT 28 min Andorra are doing well defensively. They’re restricted England to two shots on target, seven overall. And right now they’re having their best spell of possession to date. Share

3h ago 12.27 EDT 25 min An Andorra free-kick is cleared as far as Borra 30 yards out. He eyes immortality and finds Row K. Share

3h ago 12.25 EDT 23 min James commits a needless on Fernandez, a small sign of England’s burgeoning frustration. I knew Tuchel should have included David Nugent in the squad. Share Updated at 12.26 EDT

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