England can take another giant step towards Euro 2020 qualification when they face Kosovo in Southampton on Tuesday.
Victory would mean Gareth Southgate’s side would maintain a perfect record in Group A, having already recorded wins against the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Montenegro, scoring 14 goals and conceding just one in the process.
Kosovo, who face the Three Lions for the first time, are as yet undefeated in their debut qualifying campaign, with two wins and two draws to their credit.
| Game | England vs Kosovo |
| Date | Tuesday, September 10 |
| Time | 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game can be watched on ESPN2 or streamed via TUDN En Vivo.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ESPN2 | TUDN En Vivo |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be shown live on ITV 1. It will not be available for streaming.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ITV 1 | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | England squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Pickford, Heaton, Pope |
| Defenders | Trippier, Rose, Keane, Maguire, Gomez, Chilwell, Mings, Alexander-Arnold |
| Midfielders | Winks, Lingard, Henderson, Rice, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Barkley, Maddison, Mount |
| Forwards | Kane, Sterling, Sancho, Rashford, Wilson |
Confirmed England XI: Pickford, Trent A-A,Keane, Maguire, Chilwell; Rice, Henderson; Sterling, Barkley, Sancho; Kane
| Position | Kosovo squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ujkani, Muric, Bekaj |
| Defenders | Rrahmani, Vojvoda, Paqarada, Aliti, Hadergjonaj, Dresevic, Kryeziu |
| Midfielders | Halimi, Celina, V. Berisha, B. Berisha, Zhegrova, Voca, Rashkaj, Muslija, Hasani |
| Forwards | Muriqi, Nuhiu, Rashani |
Confirmed Kosovo XI: Muric; Vojvoda, Rrahmani, Aliti, Hadergjonaj; Voca, Halimi; Muslija, Celina, Berisha; Muriqi
Betting & Match Odds
England are red-hot 1/8 favourites to take the win at bet365. Kosovo are a distant 25/1, while a draw is priced at 9/1.
Match Preview
Getty Images
England take their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign to the south coast on Tuesday, with their clash against Kosovo to take place at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium.
Gareth Southgate’s side have been the dominant force in Group A, easily sweeping aside their previous opponents, and it is anticipated that they will enjoy a similarly comfortable outing against a team taking part in their first European Championship qualification.
But Kosovo are undefeated in their last 15 games, and though England impressed as they eased past Bulgaria 4-0 at Wembley on Saturday courtesy of a Harry Kane treble, Southgate is not taking anything for granted for his World Cup semi-finalists.
“It will be a very different style of game,” he said. “Kosovo will be very high pressing, hard working, a more attacking threat than we faced on Saturday. Maybe there will be more space to play up front.
“Whatever we learned from Saturday's game this is a completely different challenge.”
The visitors approach this match following perhaps their best result in their short history as a FIFA nation. At the weekend, they came from behind to score a 2-1 home victory over the Czech Republic, with the quick thinking of right-back Mergim Vojvoda allowing him to strike the winner from a corner.
With eight points from four matches and an undefeated record to boot, Kosovo have a realistic chance to complete a fairy-tale run to the finals.
“I think it is in my philosophy that if we don't dream it is unnecessary to play such games, we should dream and do all that is possible to disturb England,” head coach Bernard Challandes, who branded the Three Lions as “the best team in the world”, told the media on Monday.
“For me as a coach it is not easy to have a good mix for the evaluation of this game.
“If I say: ‘We come to win,’ I think a lot of people think that is pretentious; if I say: 'It is not possible to win against England,’ I must change my job.
“It is clear for me it will be a very, very hard game but it is a possibility for our very young team to show what is a very, very high level.”
England are undefeated in qualifiers since losing 1-0 to Ukraine in October 2009, enjoying a run of 42 games without a loss, including 33 wins. It is a run that Southgate expects to improve in unfamiliar surroundings against new opponents.
