London (AFP)

After his walk against San Marino (5-0), Thursday, England followed with a second success in Albania (2-0) which allows him to take the lead of group I of the qualifications for the World Cup-2022, with 6 points out of 6 possible.

For this match, Gareth Southgate had lined up an eleven closer to his typical team, given the absences, with six changes in his starting XI.

With the return of Harry Kane in tip or Harry Maguire in the central hinge, but also the chance given to Luke Shaw to the left of the defense, the Three Lions displayed a very solid face.

Faced with an opponent who had won his first match only 1-0 in Andorra, Nick Pope, once again starting in the cages due to the absence of Jordan Pickford due to injury, had nothing to do, the locals not recording any shot on target.

This is also the third meeting in a row that England have not taken goals, an encouraging sign for the defense, generally considered to be its weak point.

In attack, their reservoir is such that even without Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford or Jack Grealish, the one made up of Mason Mount, Phil Forden, Raheem Sterling and Kane would give any opponent nightmares.

The grass, voluntarily left very long by the locals to slow down the game, sometimes a little seized the offensive transitions, but the English captain ended up breaking the lock by opening the scoring before being decisive passer on the second goal.

In a pure scorer's gesture, he threw himself in to get ahead of his defender and victoriously head back a perfect center from Shaw to the left (1-0, 39th).

In the second act, after an Albanian defensive error, he served Mount perfectly, who pitted his ball coolly over Etrit Berisha (2-0, 63rd).

The victory could have been wider without a cross that pushed back a half-volley from Kane (42nd) and a nice reflex from Berisha who sent a recovery from Foden (52nd) on his post.

But England will remember the many positive points of this success which puts them in an ideal situation before hosting Poland on Wednesday at Wembley.

Opponents a priori the most dangerous in this group for England, the red and white, who will host Andorra in the evening, could not do better than 3-3 in Hungary on Thursday.

After a disappointing Nations League, a success against the Poles would allow the English to make a small hole and gain confidence before the Euro this summer.

© 2021 AFP