England vs Andorra

England will be looking to all but cement a top place in World Cup qualifying Group I when they take on lowly Andorra at Wembley this weekend.

Despite being held goalless at half-time in Hungary last time out, England ran out 4-0 victors to make a statement following Euro 2020 grand final heartbreak against Italy. The ‘Three Lions’ now return to Wembley for the first time since losing to ‘Gli Azzurri’ in June, hoping to make up to the fans and maintain their flawless record in World Cup qualifying Group I (W4). Sitting five points clear of closest followers Poland, England look to be on course of reaching their seventh consecutive World Cup finals for the first time in the nation’s history. Odds-on favorites to dismantle the Iberian minnows, the Euro 2020 runners-up have won each of their last four competitive H2Hs by an aggregate score of 16-0. Action-packed first-half football is well on the cards as the hosts have netted precisely three goals before half-time in both previous home H2Hs.

On the other hand, Andorra got their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign off the mark last time out with a 2-0 home victory over whipping boys San Marino to halt a three-game losing start to their Group I journey. However, there’s a good reason the Iberians are overwhelming outsiders here, as they’ve lost 55 of their 57 away Euros/World Cup qualifying fixtures (D2), last avoiding defeat in such a contest in February 2005 against North Macedonia. They have since lost 20 consecutive trips in Euros/World Cup qualifiers, failing to get on the scoresheet in the last 13 in a row. Additionally, the ‘Tricolours’ have faced nations ranked inside FIFA’s top 50 three times in 2021, losing each such encounter by an exact three-goal margin while conceding an average of 3.66 goals per match.