England welcome Latvia in another home round World Cup qualifier. They are off the back of a win against Albania.
BET BUILDER FOR THE GAME:
England vs Latvia predictions
The Thomas Tuchel era got off to a solid if not spectacular start on Friday as England opened their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Albania.
While the Three Lions played in an eerily similar fashion to how they did under Tuchel’s predecessor, Gareth Southgate, that was probably to be expected.
Albania never really threatened the England goal and a professional performance was the best the Three Lions could do at Wembley as the visitors’ deep block and tendency to surrender possession immediately meant Tuchel’s high press was not seen in action.
Unfortunately for England fans desperate for an obvious stylistic change, it may be a while before we see those tactics come to fruition and it could be much of the same when Latvia, a side ranked 75 places lower than Albania in the Fifa world rankings, visit Wembley on Monday evening.
Paolo Nicolato will undoubtedly set his side up in a defensive manner, aiming to absorb pressure and potentially launch a counter-attack, and the Three Lions may have to be patient while looking for openings in a packed backline once again.
Latvia also opened their qualifying campaign with a win, beating Andorra 1-0 on Friday, but it is hard to see them standing firm for too long at Wembley.
England’s last World Cup qualifying loss on home soil came against Germany almost 25 years ago and Tuchel’s men can be expected to get the job done.
However, while an expectant Wembley crowd will be hoping to see England put their visitors to the sword, there could be an underwhelming outcome once again for those watching on.
The Three Lions have netted more than three goals in just one of their last 14 matches and Latvia have shipped more than three in only one of their last 13 outings.
Tuchel should name a strong line-up for this clash, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham among those expected to retain their places, but even that may not be enough for England to net more than three goals.
The German was overall happy with the performance against Albania but he was critical about his wingers, stating that Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden were ‘not as decisive as they can be.’
Rashford should keep his place in the side due to the injury Anthony Gordon sustained on Friday but Foden is likely to lose his place to Jarrod Bowen, who will be keen to impress the new Three Lions boss.
Despite his team’s struggles, Bowen has enjoyed a strong season for West Ham, netting seven goals in 25 Premier League games, and the winger, who scored against Ireland in November, stands out as an anytime goalscorer selection against Latvia.
