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Published 13 November 2021 4 min read
England Men's Senior Team

Opta stats: San Marino v England

Written by:

Tom Ede

Ahead of England's final 2023 World Cup qualifying game in Serravalle, take a look at the stats and facts around Monday's encounter

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England make the trip to San Marino on Monday evening, where they will round off their 2023 FIFA World Cup European qualifying campaign.

The Three Lions know that a point or a win will be enough to secure their place at next winter's World Cup in Qatar and following their 5-0 win over Albania at Wembley on Friday, Gareth Southgate's squad will travel to the principality with confidence.

Ahead of the match, take a look at some of the stats and facts courtesy of Opta.

England have won their seven matches against San Marino by an aggregate score of 42-1, winning 5-0 in March at Wembley in the reverse World Cup 2022 qualifier.
 
In San Marino, England have won 14-0 in two previous visits, winning 8-0 in March 2013 and 6-0 in September 2015. Their other match against the Sammarinese not on English soil was played in Bologna at the Stadio Renato dall’Ara in November 1993, with San Marino taking the lead through Davide Gualtieri after eight seconds before losing 7-1.
 
San Marino have lost 36 of their 37 home World Cup qualifiers, losing the last 35 in a row by an aggregate score of 146-7. They last avoided defeat at home in March 1993 in a 0-0 draw with Turkey in Serravalle.
 
Since conceding after eight seconds against San Marino in November 1993, England have only conceded in the first half of three of their 32 away World Cup qualifiers: Carsten Jancker in the sixth minute for Germany in September 2001, Pavel Sitko in the 28th minute for Belarus in October 2008 and Serhiy Nazarenko in the 29th minute for the Ukraine in October 2009.
 
San Marino have lost their last 35 qualifying matches (EUROs/World Cup), scoring five goals while conceding 163 themselves. They only had one shot in their 4-0 defeat to Hungary last time out.
Three Lions midfielder David Platt gets stuck in against San Marino in 1993
Three Lions midfielder David Platt gets stuck in against San Marino in 1993
England have scored 42 goals in all competitions in 2021 – more than they’ve scored in any other calendar year in their history. Their first match this year was a 5-0 win over San Marino, with the Three Lions last starting and ending a year by scoring five goals in 1993 – 6-0 and 7-1 wins over San Marino in February and November respectively.
 
Harry Kane has scored 12 goals in 2021 for England – no player has ever scored more in a calendar year for the Three Lions (George Hilsdon in 1908, Dixie Dean in 1927 and Kane in 2019 scored 12 also). Kane is averaging a goal or assist every 53 minutes in qualifying matches for England (28 goals, nine assists in 26 appearances).
 
Jude Bellingham has won nine caps for England and ended on the winning side in all nine – should he win a cap in this match, he will be the second-youngest player to reach ten caps for the Three Lions (18y 139d), behind only Wayne Rooney (18y 117d) in 2004.
 
- England will be looking to win their first eight matches versus a single opponent for only the third time, also doing so versus Luxembourg and Ireland.
 
- England have had 21 different goalscorers (excluding own goals) in their seven previous matches against San Marino, with eight of those players netting 2+ goals in a single game.
 
- The youngest of those 21 goalscorers against San Marino was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (19y 58d) in October 2012, while the oldest was Frank Lampard (34y 275d) in March 2013. 
16 Mar 2021 3:16

Highlights: England 5-0 San Marino


Watch the goals and best of the action from our last meeting with the Sammarinese