England Under-21s saw their perfect qualifying record for Euro 2021 come to an abrupt end on Wednesday after being held to a 3-3 draw by Andorra. Aidy Boothroyd’s side led twice but conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a dramatic encounter.
Andorra, a nation of just 77,000 people, celebrated their fifth point from seven group games. They have previously beaten Turkey and drawn with Albania at home but remain bottom of the section.
Boothroyd described the match as “a crazy game” and praised the opposition. “You have to give credit to your opponent first and foremost. The way they celebrated just shows what the result means to them,” he said. The England manager also cited the artificial pitch as a factor, stating it “is a leveller” that suits Andorra’s style.
England took the lead through Tom Davies after falling behind to Ricard Fernández’s opener. Josh Dasilva then put England ahead before Fernández equalised. Substitute Eddie Nketiah appeared to have secured victory in the 83rd minute, but Christian Garcia’s late goal earned Andorra a point.
The result ends England’s six-match winning run in qualifying. They need three points from their remaining three games to guarantee qualification, starting against Turkey at Molineux on Tuesday. Three debutants featured: Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Rhys Williams, and Manchester United’s Brandon Williams.
