England kick off Tuchel era with 2-0 win over Albania at Wembley
21 March 2025, 21:48 | Updated: 21 March 2025, 22:09
England romped home to victory on Friday night after beating Albania 2-0 in what marks Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge.
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The all important World Cup qualifier saw England look jittery in the first half as play got underway at Wembley Stadium.
A tightly fought battle of wills, the game saw a string of near misses from captain Harry Kane before Myles Lewis-Skelly found the back of the net 20 minutes in.
It marked a dream debut for the 18-year-old - and the first goal of the Thomas Tuchel era.
The result of a sharp assist from Jude Bellingham, the first-half goal was joined by a second half belter, with the England captain finding the back of the net 77 minutes in.
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Picked out by Declan Rice inside the box, the goal marks Kane's 70th for England.
A positive start to Tuchel's time as head coach, the World Cup qualifier was an important win for England in their bid to top Group K.
The head coach proved he was not going to be swayed by public opinion as he brought the unpopular Jordan Henderson on in the second half.
The underwhelming game was not an entirely positive one for England, with Anthony Gordon picking up an injury during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group K qualifier.
Tuchel's German nationality caused some outrage after he was announced as Sir Gareth Southgate's successor before Christmas.
He became the first non-Englishman to take charge of the national team since Fabio Capello's final game at the helm 13 years and four months ago, but received a warm reception at Wembley, with a banner reading 'Welcome to the home of football, Thomas' being held up before kick-off.
Tuchel said before the game that he has to earn the right to sing the national anthem, so there was no grand spectacle during the pre-match rendition of God Save The King.
The game saw the England manager hand debuts to 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly and 32-year-old Dan Burn - both of whom had successful night, with the Arsenal youngster securing the first goal of the Tuchel reign.
Tuchel initially decided not to don his trademark baseball cap and tracksuit as he prowled his technical area, instead choosing to go with trousers and a smart overcoat.
The German has a reputation for his enthusiastic and energetic style on the touchline but remained relatively calm. He celebrated the goal with fist pumps but immediately called his players over to dish out more instructions.
The cap came out for the second half as he watched his side extend their lead.
He was enthusiastic in applauding big moments in the game, having criticised the Euro 2024 finalists for a lack of "interactions" on the pitch.
The 51-year-old headed straight down the tunnel after the game as he let the players take the applause of a sell-out Wembley crowd.
Elsewhere on Friday, other World Cup group stage clashes saw Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski hit the target for Poland in a 1-0 victory over Lithuania in Warsaw.
Lewandowski took a pass on the edge of the area before chipping the ball into the top right corner.
Bosnia-Herzegovina's win over Romania in Bucharest was one of three 1-0 victories on the road in Friday night's qualifying action.
Armin Gigovic's 15th-minute strike was enough to see off the hosts at National Arena.
