England announced a successful start by achieving its first victory under manager Thomas Tuchel (52).
The England national team, led by Thomas Tuchel, defeated Albania 2-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League, held at Wembley Stadium in London, England, at 4:45 a.m. (Korea Standard Time) on the 22nd.
With this victory, England obtained a favorable position for reaching the semifinals of the Nations League along with its first win under manager Tuchel, while also adding valuable three points in Group K of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers.
In this match, England employed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Harry Kane was positioned at the forefront, while Marcus Rashford, Jude Bellingham, and Phil Foden formed the attacking midfield. Curtis Jones and Declan Rice occupied the center, and the defensive line comprised of Lewis Skelly, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, and Kyle Walker. Jordan Pickford guarded the goal.
From the early stages of the match, England took control. In the 20th minute of the first half, Lewis Skelly calmly completed the opening goal after receiving a superb through pass from Bellingham.
Subsequently, England created several threatening opportunities in the first half, gaining momentum. The Albanian national team, centered around Asani, also attempted several counterattacks but failed to create decisive chances.
The flow continued for England in the second half. In the 33rd minute of the second half, Kane finished off a cross from Rice, extending the lead, while Albania attempted to make changes through substitutions but ultimately failed to recover. Near the end of the second half, a setback occurred as Albania's goalkeeper Strakosha was substituted due to injury.
The match concluded with England's 2-0 victory.
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