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England vs Latvia: Three Lions entertain Baltic minnows in first-ever clash
After winning on Thomas Tuchel’s touchline debut, England will aim to finish March’s international break with a 100% win rate when they meet Latvia at Wembley Stadium.
Goals from 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly and captain Harry Kane inspired the Three Lions to a comfortable 2-0 win against Albania at the beginning of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying journey.
On the scoresheet off the back of Jude Bellingham’s delightful through ball, the Arsenal teenager became the youngest-ever player to score on his England debut.
Lewis-Skelly’s opener set the tone for a winning night on Tuchel’s debut and strengthened the club’s bid to reach the World Cup finals for an eighth time on the trot.
Heavily fancied to take three points against Baltic minnows Latvia, England will take the field confident of cementing their place at the top of Group K.
Formidable hosts
On paper, this is one of the most straightforward matches on England’s fixture list, but it will, nonetheless, be a landmark occasion.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two countries, with 136 places setting them apart in FIFA’s world rankings.
England should mark the occasion with a comprehensive win, not least because they last lost a World Cup qualifier on home turf in October 2000.
Ominously for Latvia, the Three Lions have since racked up a jaw-dropping 26 wins from 29 home outings in qualifying cycles, drawing the other three.
Despite heading into proceedings on a two-game winning home run, accompanied by seven unanswered goals, Tuchel’s charges must not let complacency creep in.
A 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley in October should serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of a false sense of security.
History on Tuchel’s side
England dominated Albania in almost every aspect on Thursday.
However, like in many games towards the final stretch of Gareth Southgate’s regime, they often lacked the ‘killer pass’ in critical moments.
It’s still early, and the German boss has plenty of time to instill his ideas, but piling victories from the start remains crucial to building momentum.
Latvia can hardly compete with the Three Lions, suggesting the 51-year-old in the driver’s seat to maintain a rich tradition of the country’s recent coaches.
Two of the last three England managers to oversee at least five games have won their first two matches in charge without conceding.
Another identical success is on the cards, with 12 of England’s last 15 home wins in World Cup qualifying coming ‘to nil.’
Perennial struggles
Latvia must rewrite the nation’s history if they’re to upset the odds in London and make a significant step towards securing a first-ever World Cup finals appearance.
The so-called ’11 Wolves’ have never beaten a nation ranked inside FIFA’s current top ten top-ten (D2, L21), highlighting the magnitude of the task awaiting them at Wembley.
Paolo Nicolato’s charges can draw heart from beating Iberian microstate Andorra 1-0 in their Group K curtain-raiser, marking their second consecutive away win in World Cup qualifying.
Another triumph, though highly unlikely, would see the Latvians post three successive wins in this competition for the first time in the nation’s history.
Latvia should be buoyed by a five-game unbeaten streak in World Cup qualifying games on the road (W2, D3), yet it’s worth noting both wins in that run arrived against sides ranked outside FIFA’s top 170.
How could England line up?
Marcus Rashford failed to impress against Albania and may surrender his place on the left wing to his clubmate, Morgan Rogers.
Further changes could come at the back, where Reece James could dislodge Kyle Walker, with Lewis-Skelly likely to drop the bench in favor of Tino Livramento.
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Guehi, Colwill, Livramento; Rice, Henderson; Bowen, Bellingham, Rogers; Kane.
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