Will England keep a clean sheet in Latvia?

It is already clear that Thomas Tuchel will not necessarily go down in English soccer history as the most popular national coach. Time and again, the German has put his foot in it, repeatedly drawing the ire of the English. In particular, the non-selection of Jude Bellingham, who was actually expecting to return to the squad after his shoulder injury, is viewed very critically on the island.

However, the former Bayern coach is known as a man of clear principles, which does not necessarily (always) have to be interpreted to his disadvantage. At least in sporting terms, everything is going according to plan for him and the “Three Lions” in this 2026 World Cup qualifier. For Tuesday evening’s uneven match between Latvia and England, a tip for an away win for Harry Kane and Co. is also likely to be a mere formality.

The English, who had no game in their Group K last Thursday and used the time to win a friendly against Wales 3-0 on Thursday, have so far plowed through the qualifiers without blemish. They have celebrated five wins in five games, with a goal difference of 13-0. In a total of six out of seven international games under Thomas Tuchel, the men from the motherland of soccer have not conceded a single goal. They have also won six games. Their only defeat came in a friendly against Senegal (1-3).

The fact that the English are still not completely satisfied with their national team is therefore not due to the results, but primarily to the style of play, which remains unspectacular and tends to be based on pragmatism. Seventeen goals in seven Tuchel matches is an average score at best, considering that the aforementioned period also included matches against Andorra (1-0, 2-0) and Latvia (3-0). In view of this, I would be cautious about selecting too high a handicap in favor of the Three Lions in the Latvia vs. England prediction. The result is what counts, not the quality of the football!

Another factor in favor of a narrow away win is the fact that, despite having long since buried their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with only five points, the Latvians have still delivered decent performances in the course of these qualifiers. Only England were able to score more than two goals against the Balts in the first leg. In the remaining five games, they conceded only five goals. Among other things, they lost only narrowly to Serbia and Albania by 0-1.

In addition to the Latvia vs. England odds for an away win with under 4.5 goals, the number of goals can be reduced even further. At Winamax, you can even get 2.45 for Tuchel’s team to win 1-0, 2-0, or 3-0 in Riga.

Latvia – England Head-to-head record

The only direct duel between these two national teams to date dates back to March 2025. In the first leg of the current World Cup qualifiers, England won 3-0 at home. Reece James gave the Three Lions a 1-0 lead. Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze increased the lead to 2-0 and 3-0 respectively after the break.

This time, I could imagine the Bayern star even putting his team 1-0 ahead. Kane was rested against Wales due to injury, but now the captain is set to return to the starting lineup. This makes the betting odds on Kane scoring the 1-0 goal all the more exciting ahead of the Latvia vs. England match.

Latvia – England Tip

There is no question that England are the clear favorites as they travel to Latvia. The main questions are how big a win the Three Lions will get in the Baltic states and whether Thomas Tuchel will keep a clean sheet in his sixth competitive game as England coach. The fact is that an away win for Harry Kane and Co. would mean certain qualification for next year’s World Cup. England already won the first leg 3-0, and this time too, I expect a convincing but probably lackluster triumph for the World Cup co-favorites.

Risk-taking bettors can narrow down the final score to 0-1, 0-2, or 0-3 at odds of 2.45. A less risky bet is on an English victory with under 4.5 goals at odds of 1.54 at Bet-at-home.