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Key occasions
34 min: Bellingham enters the field down the left and tries to Lewis-Skelly the ball beneath Strakosha. The keeper smothers the tried cute poke.
32 min: Djimsiti is booked for protesting the award of a free kick after a garden-variety foul dedicated by Asani on Bellingham. Kane operating half the size of the pitch to make his personal emotions recognized in all probability didn’t assist the Albanian captain.
30 min: The England defence creaked alarmingly beneath little or no stress there. So regardless of the lean of the sport, nothing’s good beneath the brand new regime but. “We’re all understandably extra skeptical of the worth of possession however I’m going to go stat nerd right here and say Albania having 8% possession is dangerous for them.” A convincing argument there courtesy of Zach Neeley.
28 min: From that set piece, England get in a little bit of a muddle, permitting Ajeti alternative to shoot. His effort is blocked, and he claims a penalty, however the ball pinged off Burn’s bottom. Then the flag goes up for offside.
27 min: Balliu feeds Laci down the appropriate. Laci’s cross hits the surface of the right-hand put up, Pickford flapping, then off Burns and out for the primary nook of the night.
25 min: Balliu blazes down the appropriate, making Albania’s first decided run of the night time. However he can’t get previous the busy Bellingham.
23 min: Albania are actually urgent additional upfield. Not that they’re seeing any extra of the ball. Whether or not opening up is a good suggestion stays to be seen. “All this discuss of Tommy Tuchel is just ‘a lot blether,’ in response to a Scottish pal of mine,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “‘We had a German coach a long time in the past who received a Euros as a supervisor and a World Cup as a participant.” I left it at that.”
21 min: Lewis-Skelly makes certain to take pleasure in his celebration with the gang. Arms waving in glee. And why not? What a participant. What an influence. And to hell with the enjoyable police.
GOAL! England 1-0 Albania (Lewis-Skelly 19)
England keep affected person. Then all of the sudden flip up the gasp. Bellingham spins into house in the midst of the park, and slips a move down the inside-left channel for Lewis-Skelly, who enters the field, holds off Asani, and pokes beneath the out-rushing Strakosha for a objective on debut! What a season the younger Arsenal defender is having fun with!
17 min: Kane barrels down the center of the park and into the field. He’s pestered from behind by Balliu and might’t get a shot away. Strakosha, lastly put to work, smothers on the England captain’s ft.
16 min: Konsa shovels ahead and almost releases Walker down the inside-right channel. Albania clear. Foden whips in from the appropriate. Albania clear once more. Strakosha within the Albanian objective has had nothing to take action far, his defence well-drilled.
14 min: Jones slaloms elegantly down the appropriate, reaching the byline and pulling again for Kane, however Asllani arrives simply in time to hook clear. England slowly warming up.
13 min: Bellingham and Rashford mix once more down the left, however a cutback for Rice is miscontrolled and an honest transfer falls aside.
11 min: Bellingham drops a shoulder as he advances down the inside-left channel, and all of the sudden England make floor into that closing third. He tries a one-two with Rashford nevertheless it doesn’t fairly come off. For a second, that regarded promising.
9 min: That is all England when it comes to possession – certainly Albania have hardly had a contact – however the guests are holding their hosts at arm’s size thus far. Nothing taking place within the closing third. Wembley has fallen a tad quiet in consequence.
7 min: Walker goes dribbling down the appropriate and tries to nip between a few black-and-red shirts. He falls over and expects a free kick, however he’s not getting one. Throw to Albania. Walker briefly considers participating the linesman in a philosophical back-and-forth, however then thinks higher of it.
5 min: Konsa loops a move down the center and almost finds Bellingham on the penalty spot. Ajeti extends a leg to entice and clear, although he wants two swipes of that leg to finish the primary a part of that defensive motion. For a second, it regarded as if he’d current Bellingham with an enormous probability, however no.
3 min: Albania sit again in a low block. Rice is seeing loads of the ball throughout these early exchanges, prompting this fashion and that.
2 min: England shortly snaffle possession and move it across the again awhile. Everybody discovering their ft.
Albania get the ball rolling. That is England’s twentieth World Cup qualifier within the new Wembley, they usually’ve but to lose one, or fail to attain in a single.
A minute to recollect 1966 World Cup squad member George Eastham, who handed in December. The warmest applause for one of many greats.
The groups are out! England in white, Albania black and crimson. We’ll be off as soon as the nationwide anthems are sung, or not sung, loved or endured, no matter people select, nevertheless they see it, dwell and let dwell.
Thomas Tuchel talks to ITV. “Large event … I’m a bit nervous … however extra excited … glad to get the journey going … it was a quite simple choice to convey [Dan Burn into the squad] … he had an enormous closing and influence right here some days in the past … we didn’t need to disturb his wave … he’s on run … it may have been Levi Colwill however we opted for Dan … I can completely perceive how everybody loves [Myles Lewis-Skelly] … an enormous persona … an enormous character … he is able to go … [Marcus Rashford] is a peaceful man … we received some smiles out of him … he enjoys being again in camp … Anthony Gordon comes off the again of a crimson card and a few missed video games so it was a detailed race … convey the power … we play on the entrance foot … aggressive and attacking … don’t lose the depth … they’ve good soccer gamers … we must be conscious however we’re able to go.”
Albania assistant coach Pablo Zabaleta, as soon as of Manchester Metropolis and West Ham, speaks to ITV. “It’s nice to be again in England, that’s for certain … we count on a really tough match … they’ve a brand new coach … new gamers … new concepts … we focus … we’re optimistic … play with perception … now we have staff … we’re organised and don’t concede a lot on the again … we are able to have some possibilities … it’s going to be robust however we must be optimistic.”
… however now I come to consider it, it’s in all probability extra related to relive the final time England met Albania, isn’t it. Right here’s how they fared house and away throughout the qualifying marketing campaign for the 2022 World Cup.
Retro MBM division. Walker’s first sport for England was towards then-world-champions Spain in 2011. Fancy reliving that one? A sport determined by Frank Lampard’s second-half header from three inches out? No? OK, however the choice’s there to click on under should you change your thoughts.
Kyle Walker – who made his debut beneath Fabio Capello and has subsequently performed for Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce, Gareth Southgate and Lee Carsley – talks to ITV. “It’s been good … it’s thrilling … a brand new period … I totally loved it beneath Gareth Southgate … many nice recollections … flip the web page and begin once more … Tuchel needs a high-intensity sport … power … being sensible as effectively … we don’t need it to be 6-6 … we need to win on the finish of the day.”
Thomas Tuchel begins his reign as England supervisor by handing out two new caps. Man-of-the-moment Dan Burn, a scorer at Wembley 5 days in the past as Newcastle slaked their 70-year home thirst, and Arsenal prodigy Myles Lewis-Skelly are the debutants. Marcus Rashford makes his first begin for England since going through Malta in November 2023.
Albania are captained by Atalanta defender Berat Djimsiti. Kristjan Asllani of Internazionale and Rangers winger Nedim Bajrami additionally begin. Armando Broja, presently on mortgage at Everton, is on the bench. Their supervisor Sylvinho, previously of Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis, performed on the previous Wembley for Brazil in a 1-1 attract 2000, and was assistant boss of the Seleção on the new Wembley in 2017, when England and Brazil performed out a goalless draw.
The groups
England: Pickford, Walker, Konsa, Burn, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Jones, Foden, Bellingham, Rashford, Kane.
Subs: Dean Henderson, Trafford, James, Guehi, Jordan Henderson, Colwill, Eze, Rogers, Gordon, Solanke, Bowen, Livramento.
Albania: Strakosha, Balliu, Ajeti, Djimsiti, Aliji, Laci, Ramadani, Asllani, Asani, Uzuni, Nedim Bajrami.
Subs: Kastrati, Sherri, Shehu, Manaj, Mihaj, Kumbulla, Medon Berisha, Muci, Ismajli, Pajaziti, Hoxha, Broja.
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez (Spain).
Preamble
It’s the beginning of England’s bid to win the 2026 World Cup. It’s the primary sport of the Thomas Tuchel period. It’s a showdown with Albania, who’re zero-and-six towards the Three Lions, England having rattled up an historic combination rating of 19-1. On steadiness, then, that is intriguing reasonably than thrilling, although it’ll be fairly the story ought to the Kuqezinjtë – the Pink and Blacks – break precedent and steal away from Wembley with a degree or extra. It’s quantity 4 within the Fifa rankings versus quantity 65. It ought to be a house banker. It kicks off at 7.45pm GMT. And it’s on.