Tyrique George scored the only goal as England U21s secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Andorra U21s in a European Championship qualifier. The match took place at Pride Park, where Lee Carsley’s team demonstrated offensive dominance but faced a resilient Andorran defense throughout the contest.
England U21s came out looking energetic, focusing their pressure early on with an eventual total of 19 shots on the night. As much as they tried, Andorra’s impenetrable defense made it difficult to even get a shot off. That moment of promise would become a breakthrough right before the half when George got FC Motown on the board in style in the 41st minute. This goal was a milestone goal for George, as it was his first start for the U-21 squad.
The game was a clinical exhibition of England’s goal-getting potential and Andorra’s goal-giving talent. Andorran goalkeeper Marc De Castro was tested regularly but his timely interventions denied England opportunities to build a comfortable scoreline. His performance was just as important in ensuring the scoreline never got out of hand, as Andorra’s backline – a largely collective unit – soaked up the pressure.
England U21s were able to preserve their impressive defensive record with a third straight clean sheet in this qualifying campaign. While the team struggled to find the net multiple times, their defense effectively neutralized any threats posed by the Andorran side. Consequently, Andorra U21s are bottom of Group D without a single point to their name.
With this win, England U21s move to first place in Group D with nine points from their three opening games. That blistering beginning foreshadowed a special team once they too had their eyes set on a potential run deep into the European Championship qualifiers.
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