It took an own goal to break the deadlock after 25 minutes, Andorra defender Christian Garcia heading Noni Madueke’s cross beyond goalkeeper Iker Alvarez. Declan Rice headed the second from Reece James’ excellent delivery after 67 minutes.
The usual caveats apply on these occasions. And there some is merit in them.
England did what they had to do, no matter how turgid and uneventful this was. Another step towards the 2026 World Cup.
Andorra mounted a rearguard action from the first whistle, assembling a yellow wall of defensive defiance, England recording 83% possession while the visitors barely got out of their own half, leaving keeper Jordan Pickford to mind his own business.
Tuchel will rightly point to the statistic that England have yet to concede a goal in World Cup qualifiers – but they have barely been tested.
And the days of racking up eight or nine goals against opponents in competitive international football are largely in the past.
Andorra, sandwiched between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Chad in the world standings, will regard a two-goal margin of defeat as close to a moral victory.
What must be a worry for Tuchel, and it is a concern that has been a consistent thread through his time in charge, is England’s lack of ideas, inspiration, end product and momentum in their play.
Watch all your favorite Amazon Prime Video Sports broadcasts live and free. Get access to NFL, NBA, NASCAR, WNBA, and more – all included with your Prime membership!