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Having taken maximum points from their opening three matches, England are safely perched at the summit of World Cup qualifying Group K. The Three Lions are currently five points clear of third-placed Serbia – who have only played twice so far – and four ahead of nearest rivals Albania.
However, it hasn’t been all plain sailing. An unconvincing triumph over the Albanians was followed by an improved performance against Latvia, although the Wembley natives wouldn’t have been too exhilarated by what they saw in either fixture. Thomas Tuchel’s men then narrowly avoided total humiliation in the first meeting with Andorra, as Harry Kane netted the only goal of a tepid contest to spare their blushes in Catalonia. Still, a record of three wins and three clean sheets can hardly be scoffed at.
Andorra have assumed a familiar position at the foot of the qualifying table, although they’re increasingly becoming more competitive on the international stage. Losing by a solitary goal to both England and Latvia could certainly be considered a step in the right direction, although the ‘Tricolours’ will be desperate to secure a point at some stage during this campaign. Soundly beaten by Albania and Serbia before Saturday’s trip to Birmingham, it’s likely Andorra’s best chance of a positive result will come in Riga next month.
The ITV cameras will be at Villa Park to catch all the action on Saturday evening, as England look to assert their dominance over one of Europe’s minnows. The match is scheduled to kick off at 17:00 BST.
England v Andorra: Key information
Date: Saturday, September 6th
Kick-off time: 17:00 (BST)
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Referee: Mohammad Al-Emara (Finland)
Assistant Referees: Turkka Joonas Valjakka (Finland) and Mika Lamppu (Finland)
VAR: Bram Van Driessche (Belgium)
Assistant VAR: Bert Put (Belgium)
TV Channels/Live stream: ITV1 and STV (TV), ITVX and STV Player (stream online)
Odds: England: 1/80 Draw: 33/1 Andorra: 40/1
England vs. Andorra team news
Although there’s a feeling of inevitability about the outcome of this contest, both managers will undoubtedly feel their respective strongest XI’s. Tuchel is keen to keep the momentum building as he navigates the initial stages of his reign as England boss, while Koldo Álvarez will surely wait until Tuesday’s friendly clash with Estonia to rotate his squad.
England team news
There are a number of notable omissions from Tuchel’s latest squad, with several missing out through injury and others currently deemed surplus to requirements.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the absence of Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, although Jack Grealish will be disappointed not to make the cut after making a dazzling start to his loan stint at Everton. John Stones returns to the fold after an injury-ravaged 2024/25 campaign, having started all three of Manchester City’s opening Premier League fixtures this term. There are also recalls for Barcelona loanee Marcus Rashford and defensive midfielder Adam Wharton, although the latter has been forced to withdraw through injury.
A handful of other England stars also face time on the treatment table.
Jude Bellingham underwent surgery in the summer for a long-standing shoulder problem, and subsequently won’t feature for club or country for some time yet. Having limped off early into the second half of Arsenal’s thumping victory over Leeds United, Bukayo Saka also faces a spell on the sidelines. The pacey winger left the field clutching his left hamstring, less than a year on from having surgery on the same muscle in his right leg. Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer pulled in the warm-up ahead of Chelsea's 5-1 hammering of West Ham, with Enzo Maresca later revealing he’d been carrying a groin strain throughout the past week. Palmer also missed last Saturday’s West London derby, so he was never really in contention to be involved in either of England’s two upcoming fixtures.
The nature of Phil Foden’s injury is currently unknown, although it’s unclear as to whether the out-of-form playmaker would have made the squad if fit.
Tuchel has struck with his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation in all three qualifiers, so it’s likely he’ll adopt the same system this weekend. There’s a decision to be made at the back as Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, Marc Guéhi, and John Stones vie for the two central defensive berths, whilst we wait to see who partners Declan Rice in midfield. Expect youth to trump experience, with Elliot Anderson getting the nod ahead of veteran maestro Jordan Henderson. The Nottingham Forest ace has never previously earned a senior international cap, but did help Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 outfit retain the European Championship title in Slovakia at the beginning of the summer.
England predicted line-up v Andorra (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Jordan Pickford (GK), Reece James, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane
Andorra team news
Andorra will get bodies behind the ball in a desperate bid to frustrate their superior opponents, with a rigid 5-4-1 formation offering the best opportunity to overload the defensive and midfield thirds.
Koldo Álvarez is set to continue to put his faith in 24-year-old goalkeeper Iker Álvarez, who recently left Villarreal’s B team to join Andalusian side Córdoba. Although a centre-half by trade, it seems Santa Coloma defender Moisés San Nicolás will once again be shifted to left-back, as the captain makes way for a backline trio of Max Llovera, Christian García, and Ian Olivera.
German-born Pau Babot is a clear favourite to assume one of the two central midfield slots, with five other potential candidates hoping to join him in the engine room. Having put in a decent display against Saturday’s opponents back in June, Joel Guillén García may just have the edge over his positional rivals. There’s also a question mark over who will lead the line from the first whistle, with Álvarez having already used three different centre-forwards during the current qualification campaign. After making an impact from the bench against Albania and England, Guillaume López was drafted into the starting line-up for Andorra’s last qualifying fixture. Don’t be surprised if the Inter Club d'Escaldes marksman retains his place.
Andorra predicted line-up v England (5-4-1)
Coach: Koldo Álvarez
Iker Álvarez (GK), Biel Borra, Max Llovera, Christian García, Ian Olivera, Moisés San Nicolás, Aron Rodrigo Tapia, Joel Guillén García, Pau Babot, Joan Cervós, Guillaume López
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Two years ago, ITV obtained exclusive rights to broadcast live coverage of every England fixture (outside of major tournaments) from September 2024 until at least June 2028. Therefore, the Three Lions' meeting with Andorra on Saturday evening and next week’s clash against Serbia in Belgrade will both be shown on the free-to-air channel. Scottish viewers can watch England’s qualifiers (if they wish!) on STV.
Live streams of the above matches are also accessible via ITVX and the STV player, with full match replays available after the final whistle.
Head-to-head record
The head-to-head record between these two sides makes for grim reading if you’re Andorran, with England having emerged victorious in all seven previous contests without conceding a goal. Their first encounter saw Steve McLaren’s men put five past hapless ‘keeper Koldo Álvarez – now Andorra’s national coach – at Old Trafford, with Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe both grabbing a brace in Manchester.
The two teams were last drawn into the same qualifying group ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The Three Lions won 4-0 and 5-0 at Wembley and the Estadi Nacional respectively to help them along the road to Qatar, with Andorra ending the campaign on six points after beating San Marino in home and away fixtures.
Despite making a promising start to life under Tuchel, England suffered a sobering defeat to Senegal last time out. Saturday’s clash offers the perfect opportunity to repair some of the damage caused by the 3-1 loss in Nottingham, although a victory in Serbia would put the result firmly to the back of English minds. Andorra may have lost each of their opening four qualifiers, but they did clinch a hard-earned point in their final UEFA Nations League outing last November. That 0-0 draw in Malta may feel like a distant memory, but it shows the Tricolour are capable of providing a stern test for a respectable opponent.
Odds for England v Andorra
As England are overwhelming favourites to take all three points at the weekend, there isn’t much value in the money line market. With bet365 installing odds of 1/80 for Tuchel’s side to triumph, you’d be better off scouting the bookmaker’s other markets. We’ve provided a sample of odds that may be of interest below, which offer far more scope to secure some worthwhile returns.
HT/FT = England/England: 1/10 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if England are leading at half-time and go on to win the match.
England and BTTS – No: 1/5 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if England win and Andorra do not score.
England to win and over 4.5 goals: 4/6 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if England win and there are more than four goals in the match, regardless of whether or not Andorra score.
Moneyline odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.