England 2 - 0 Albania
Thomas Tuchel first starting XI marked up a comfortable win for England against Albania at Wembley on Friday with Jordan Pickford retains his place in goal and keeping a clean sheet.
The full first team:
England: Pickford, Walker, Lewis-Skelly, Burn, Konsa, Rice, Bellingham, Jones, Rashford, Foden, Kane
On the Albania bench is Chelsea's England-born Armando Broja, on loan with Everton.
Jordan Pickford continues in goal for England, winning his 74th cap.
With 20 minutes gone, Myles Lewis-Skelly on his England debut scored the first goal of the Thomas Tuchel era after great work from Jude Bellingham who turned his marker in midfield and then played a superb ball through the Albanian defence, Lewis-Skelly ran onto it on the left side of the box and slotted it in between the goalkeeper's legs.
Albania made the first change on 62 minutes: Armando Broja, who is on loan at Everton from Chelsea, replaced Rangers' forward Nedim Bajrami.
England finally got a second goal when Harry Kane took the ball down well, turned and slotted his shot across goal, and inside the far post.
Reader Comments (70)
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()
2 Posted 21/03/2025 at 18:12:15
I don't care one flying fuck if Everton players play for England or not. The only side of that that bothers me is that they may have ambition to do so and leave us to achieve that aim.
Good luck with that Jack Harrison (and Calvert-Lewin) but I think you're deluded there.
3 Posted 21/03/2025 at 18:38:38
I've never cared much for the national team, but have to admit that I felt differently when the young, still blue, Rooney was playing his heart out in the Euros all those years ago. I'm back to not caring again now!
4 Posted 21/03/2025 at 18:39:22
23, M. Lewis-Skelly
12, D. Burn
5, E. Konsa
2, K. Walker
17, C. Jones
4, D. Rice
11, M. Rashford
10, J. Bellingham
7, P. Foden
9, H. Kane
5 Posted 21/03/2025 at 18:40:54
I've always had a soft spot for the Netherlands and Germany. More recently Croatia. For a country with a population less than 4M, they have produced some really good players over the years.
Sell out at Wembley tonight. Not bad going for the level of the opponents. No disrespect for them.
6 Posted 21/03/2025 at 18:54:42
7 Posted 21/03/2025 at 19:09:44
"The England vs Albania Match broadcast live and free on streaming platform DAZN Canada from 3:45 pm ET."
8 Posted 21/03/2025 at 19:36:19
The Canadian networks are showing that game invented by a Canadian called basketball that to me is about as exciting as croquet.
9 Posted 21/03/2025 at 19:43:58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK1J7eYElo4
'kin Hell, Herr Tom looks Dracularian in black
College basketball is the only U.S. sport that I like Bill.
10 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:09:00
11 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:13:31
I also learned that there is a Canadian variation of American Football.
This should be a stroll for England.
12 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:21:09
13 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:21:24
Oh dear.
14 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:27:48
The tables reflect current scores for England's group but Scotland who played and won yesterday are shown as played 0, won 0, points 0.
15 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:28:48
16 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:30:06
Just noticed that myself, unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.
17 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:35:14
18 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:39:05
Issac Price knocked one in for Northern Ireland.
19 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:51:51
20 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:55:17
Do you think Branthwaite is being punished for not signing for one of the Sky Sports favourites?
I am sure if he had gone to Arsenal, Chelsea, or even Man Utd, he would be in the England first team today.
21 Posted 21/03/2025 at 20:58:30
22 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:08:02
23 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:08:05
24 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:16:40
25 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:20:53
26 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:26:35
Our 'Arry just smashed a beauty!
27 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:26:57
28 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:43:38
29 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:44:17
Very hard to get any kind of entertainment out of that typical England borefest. Plus ça change…
30 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:44:44
Hopefully he has Irish blood and declares for Ireland!
31 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:46:35
Albania gave a good account of themselves, but the gulf was too wide.
Broja showed some glimpses. Let's hope can stay fit. Next up for player watch, Michael?
32 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:52:43
33 Posted 21/03/2025 at 21:53:16
The true test will come when they play the top teams. All they can do is go through the motions in beating teams like they have in their group. Some of the starting eleven didn't really impress but granted they didn't have to.
This is much like the kind of performance they had under Southgate in many games against weak opposition and one cannot really judge anybody just yet.
Personally, I don't think Rashford is the player he was when he burst on the scene and I would prefer Bowen.
34 Posted 21/03/2025 at 22:01:10
I cant imagine him picking Henderson, Rashford, Konsa and Burn of his own volition.
35 Posted 21/03/2025 at 22:19:12
Henderson would be suited to that, having just taken millions off a country that imprisons gay people.
37 Posted 21/03/2025 at 00:09:29
Ludicrous that England U21s v France started with Egan-Riley (Burnley) and Harwood-Bellis (Southampton) as central defenders, the latter being replaced by Cresswell (Toulouse) after 62 minutes. Branthwaite eventually came on after 73 minutes for Man City's Lewis at full-back.
No wonder they lost 5-3. Further proof that Carsley is useless.
38 Posted 22/03/2025 at 02:11:43
"Nothing much to get excited about beating a rather weak opponent".
39 Posted 22/03/2025 at 03:08:33
That said, Latvia isn't a football country so their team is crap. Anything less than 5-0 will be disappointing.
40 Posted 22/03/2025 at 06:47:57
41 Posted 22/03/2025 at 07:20:46
There are couple of common, linked themes.
He doesn't hang around long and has had a few thorny relationships with the boardroom over transfers when his proposed targets haven't been met by the clubs he has been head coach at.
At least he won't have that last problem in International management. It will interesting to see how he gets on with the suits at the FA.
42 Posted 22/03/2025 at 09:05:59
Warrington won 14-12 PF
43 Posted 22/03/2025 at 11:33:36
First half: no pressure on England so looked decent going forward.
When Broja came on, he showed what a cart-horse Burn is.
The commentary and pundits were fawning over England and this will continue as there is no real opposition in this group
44 Posted 22/03/2025 at 11:35:08
I am at the Leeds Rhinos v Wigan game today, 5.30, if the camera goes on the wigan end and you spot someone wearing an Everton bobble hat, that will be me, then I,m down at the second test event tomorrow Bramley Moore.
45 Posted 22/03/2025 at 11:46:20
46 Posted 22/03/2025 at 11:59:11
47 Posted 22/03/2025 at 12:25:43
Xxx
48 Posted 22/03/2025 at 12:30:03
I reckon Sean Dyche would be good in Rugby League.
Tomorrers
49 Posted 22/03/2025 at 12:40:43
Harwood-Bellis starting ahead of him. Sorry, that's just embarrassing, Lee Carsley.
France 5, England 3
50 Posted 22/03/2025 at 12:46:35
I was reading today, the reason Branthwaite didn't start for the U21s was because he didn't meet up with the squad until Wednesday night?
51 Posted 22/03/2025 at 17:29:43
Harwood Bellis is a very good prospect who happens to play for a thoroughly embarrassing team who, I suspect, he will leave over the summer.
Be careful, Ian, he's engaged to Roy Keane's daughter.
52 Posted 22/03/2025 at 18:00:40
Paul, that made me laugh. If you think Harwood-Bellis is better than Branthwaite, I'd tell you to stay off the pop in the sun.
53 Posted 22/03/2025 at 18:08:45
I simply said that I disagree with you about Harwood-Bellis. How on earth did you jump to conclusions about our fella from that?
54 Posted 22/03/2025 at 18:15:22
Jarrad's exclusion had nothing to do with a straight choice between him and Harwood-Bellis, so your little pop at Carsley was without any substance at all, although, to be fair, it was based on your ignorance of the situation.
55 Posted 22/03/2025 at 18:42:40
Keep up the great work 👏.
56 Posted 22/03/2025 at 18:44:35
57 Posted 22/03/2025 at 18:50:16
58 Posted 22/03/2025 at 18:54:43
Carsley will know all he needs to know about Branthwaite.
59 Posted 22/03/2025 at 19:50:58
60 Posted 22/03/2025 at 19:51:56
61 Posted 22/03/2025 at 19:52:17
Got to admit I prefer watching Rugby League to football now. Unless it's Everton, I'm not interested in the slightest.
62 Posted 22/03/2025 at 20:01:16
Aren't Warrington also wools?
63 Posted 22/03/2025 at 20:02:30
64 Posted 22/03/2025 at 20:58:39
65 Posted 22/03/2025 at 21:55:19
See you at Bramley Moore tomorrow 😉.
66 Posted 22/03/2025 at 23:49:04
A somewhat pale and sad cheap shot at match-going-oneupmanship Ian that is like water off a duck's back for me but I do know that a large group of ex-pats and others in exile find it distasteful and even obnoxious and that MK is one such soul. (Never mind good people in Liverpool who might not be able to afford to go to the match.)
Enjoy your evacuations tomorrow, Ian. Wrap up warm, it's going to be grey, windy, and rainy.
67 Posted 23/03/2025 at 00:50:22
Mark m you got your wish for Leeds, must of been over 20 different people that came up to me at the rugby, all Evertonians :-)
68 Posted 24/03/2025 at 02:53:57
Tariff that you orange fascist lump of shit! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
69 Posted 24/03/2025 at 06:08:31
My Canada friends relished it.
2-1 in the heart of LA. The only good thing about the Yanks today was having a player called Scally. Anyone else enjoy David cupping his ear to the Yanks after he scored! One of the least close 2-1 wins in recent times. The U.S. did not have a decent attacking move until the first goal at '35 and they rarely looked like scoring after Canada went ahead. Convincing and deserved win for the 51st state!
Isn't that back-to-back-wins for Canada against these United States? I might be wrong.
On the BBC footy site the Yank result was listed immediately after the Welsh Premier Women's League results.
Great to see Eire beating Bulgaria.
70 Posted 24/03/2025 at 17:04:57
A nice two-fer combined with the recent hockey tournament 👌
72 Posted 25/03/2025 at 01:07:07
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.
How to get rid of these ads and support TW
1 Posted 21/03/2025 at 17:10:40
England have a very easy group to deal with and only Serbia may be a test.
Tuchel is not my idea of a manager who will take England far and only Pickford, Kane and Rice are World class so we will see what happens when they ace some top teams.