LONDON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) — England battled past resilient Andorra 2-0 to claim its fourth straight FIFA World Cup qualifying win under coach Thomas Tuchel.
England dominated possession at Villa Park but struggled to break down the opponents ranked 174th in the world. Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson was handed his debut and stood out as one of the brighter performers in an otherwise labored contest.
The breakthrough came in the 25th minute, when Noni Madueke’s cross was diverted by Andorran defender Christian Garcia into the net. Despite the setback, the visitors dug in, with goalkeeper Iker Alvarez producing an excellent save to deny Anderson and keeping his team in the game.
England doubled the lead midway through the second half, as Declan Rice rose at the far post to head home a pinpoint delivery from Reece James in the 67th minute.
Tuchel’s side now turns its attention to its sternest challenge yet – an away game against Serbia on Tuesday. ■