England completed their flawless World Cup qualifying campaign by securing a hard-earned 2-0 victory over Albania. Harry Kane netted two goals in the second half, propelling the Three Lions to their eighth consecutive win in as many matches.
Manager Thomas Tuchel made seven changes for the match in Tirana, with England already assured of a spot in next summer’s tournament. Notably, Jude Bellingham started in place of Morgan Rogers.
Albania, vying for a playoff spot, posed a tough challenge early on, forcing England to wait over 30 minutes for their first significant opportunity, eventually leading to a corner from Jarrod Bowen.
Although England had not conceded in their previous seven matches, Albania managed to create chances, testing goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who made two crucial saves.
However, with less than 20 minutes remaining, Harry Kane broke the deadlock, converting a corner from Bukayo Saka. Kane sealed the victory with a second header, marking his 78th goal for the national team.
England heads to the World Cup following a qualifying campaign marked by eight wins and eight clean sheets.
Mirror Sport’s Chief Football Writer John Cross, present at the Albania match, provided player ratings following another successful triumph.
– Dean Henderson: 7 – Impressive saves and a crucial tackle, solidifying his position as the next in line after Pickford.
– Jarell Quansah: 5 – Made his England debut, looking uneasy as a center-back playing out of position at right-back.
– John Stones: 7 – Stood out as England’s top defender and one of the standout performers, demonstrating versatility by covering in midfield.
– Dan Burn: 6 – Lacked finesse on the ball, despite posing a threat with his height, passing accuracy was subpar.
– Nico O’Reilly: 7 – Displayed defensive prowess with strong tracking and gritty defending.
– Adam Wharton: 6 – Received a booking, showed glimpses of quality in his debut start, overall performance was satisfactory.
– Jude Bellingham: 8 – Exceptional work ethic and quality display, asserting himself as a key player for England.
– Declan Rice: 7 – Covered extensive ground but visibly tired in the second half after a tireless effort.
– Jarrod Bowen: 7 – Consistently industrious and impressive whenever given the chance, came close to scoring.
– Eberechi Eze: 6 – Denied a goal by a fine save, struggled to make an impact playing on the left wing.
– Harry Kane: 8 – England’s Captain Marvel, fulfilling his role as a goal-scoring threat with another stellar performance.
Substitutions:
– Foden replaced Rice in the 63rd minute, earning a rating of 7.
– Saka substituted Eze in the 63rd minute, also receiving a rating of 7.
– Anderson replaced Wharton in the 75th minute.
– Rashford came on for Bowen in the 75th minute.
– Rogers replaced Bellingham in the 84th minute.
Substitutes: Pickford, Trafford, James, Chalobah, Saka, J Henderson, Rashford, Spence, Rogers, Foden, Anderson, Scott.
Man of the match: Harry Kane – Setting records, scoring goals, and leading England to another victory.
